


Beginning Anew

by DanieXJ



Series: Fixing the Wrongs [1]
Category: ER, Feast of Love (Movie), Grey's Anatomy, Guiding Light, Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-03
Updated: 2009-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:22:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Familiar and unfamiliar characters meet at County General in Chicago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"An appy, I'm doing an appy... Why am I doing an appy?" The blonde woman shook her scrub covered head.

Shirley glanced at the clock, "That is the question that's being asked Doctor Hahn."

Doctor Erica Hahn glanced up, then back to what she was doing. "Because, I've finally figured out that perhaps I was living my life wrong. Ah... and Donald didn't think I could still do one of these."

She took a step back, handed off her instruments and started to peel off her gloves. Shirley quirked an eyebrow over her mask, "I'd say our fearless leader was very wrong."

Erica and Shirley walked out of the OR together, "Oh, didn't you hear, Donald is no longer acting Chief of Staff. They hired some non doctor, administrator whiz. Lawyer too."

Shirley put a chart in the rack, "I didn't know that, no... Have you met her?"

"Haven't. I heard that she's quite the... firebrand though."

A smirk came to Shirley's lips. "She and Doctor Weaver should get along swimmingly."

"Weaver?"

Shirley turned to the Chief of Surgery, "You haven't met Kerry Weaver, she was once the Chief of the Emergency Department, at one point the Chief of Staff, then she left for Miami. Now she's back and Chief of the Emergency Department again." Shirley nodded, "A damn good Doctor too..."

Erica's pager went off and she looked at it, "The ER."

"You'll get to meet her then."

Erica regarded Shirley with amusement, "You keep everyone's schedule in your head?"

"Info is power."

oOOOOo

A laugh came from behind Kerry as she watched the controlled chaos of her ER. She glanced over her shoulder and blinked, "Shouldn't you be... supervising someone?"

The dark haired woman laughed, "I would have thought you'd ask me why I wasn't in Boston."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "So soon you forget, this is my ER. I was the one who hired you Abby."

They stood a bit apart for another moment, then they hugged. After a few seconds Abby took a step back,, "Thank you, by the way."

Kerry put a hand on Abby's shoulder. "Are you okay? I was surprised to see your CV in my pile."

Abby glanced up as a gurney came through the inner ER doors and a very young looking Intern met it. "Later, when we're off?"

Kerry nodded, "I'll find you." Kerry smiled, "It's good to see you."

Abby rolled her eyes, "BFF, blah, blah, blah..."

Kerry laughed as Abby met the gurney and disappeared into Trauma 2. At the admit desk Chaz's head jerked up. He had been staring at a page in his text book. "Wha? You laughed..."

Kerry shook her head, "Go home Chaz, you don't want to live here. Go be with your understanding SO, or find someone else to have fun with in your spare time. Trust me. Go home."

He groaned as he stood, "Whatever you say Chief."

Kerry shook her head and watched him disappear into the Doctor's lounge. "Do you often get involved in your employees' personal lives Doctor Weaver?"

Kerry looked down the desk. The speaker was a woman in what could be defined as a super power suit. She had light brownish hair cut at her shoulders and seemed all business. "That wasn't getting involved in anything Ms. Wolfe. That was saving one of my patients tomorrow, or the next day or next week from dying because he's too tired."

Doris Wolfe put her hands on her hips, "And why should he believe you?"

Kerry watched as Chaz came back out of the Doctor's lounge, bag in hand. "Say hello to Wally for me Chaz."

Chaz gave a backwards wave as he exited the ER, moving to one side as Carlos Lopez and his partner quickly wheeled a gurney with a man on it through the sliding doors. The man seemed to have a knife sticking out of his chest. Kerry glanced at Doris, then caught up to Carlos and his partner. They met Chuny and a second year resident, Cassie Fraiser, as they and another nurse all entered Trauma 1. "What do you have?"

Carlos let his breath out as they transferred the man from the ambulance gurney to the hospital one, and Cassie, Chuny, et al started working on him. Carlos' partner talked as Cassie intubated him, and everyone on the room except for Kerry was focused entirely on him. "What do you need, someone who can sew really fast."

A blonde head appeared, then the rest of Erica came into Trauma 1. "Is that through his heart?"

Everyone looked up and Kerry answered, sort of, "Who are you?"

"Doctor Erica Hahn, if that's through his heart in any way I'm County's newest Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon. Otherwise I'm..."

Kerry nodded and went back to her patient, "...the new Chief of Surgery." 

Kerry looked up as the door between Trauma 2 and 1 opened again and Abby's head appeared. "Are you all set in here Kerry?" Kerry raised an eyebrow and Abby let out a short chuckle before she was back to business, "Have you seen our intrepid Chief Resident Tony?"

"Suture room." She looked up at Erica again as Abby disappeared, "He's stable, for now."

"Then I'd better save him before he dies."

Kerry started to leave Erica in Trauma 1 and nearly slammed into Doris as she pushed through the doors. Doris moved back into the hall a bit, then stopped. "You're as new as I am, how do you know everyone?"

Kerry tried to get around Doris, but it wasn't going to happen. "Because I once had your job. Excuse me. I'm off and need to find Doctor Malucci to hand off to."

"Where is the fucker. I'll kill him, I'll kill him damnit!"

Kerry and Doris turned, but not in time to prevent being knocked down like bowling pins. Kerry groaned and slowly opened her eyes and jerked in surprise. "What, it's old home week in Chicago County General?" Kerry watched a hand come down and seemed to debate whether or not she would take it for a moment. She did and was pulled to her feet. "You straightened your hair."

"You don't have a crutch anymore. I go back and forth between straight and out of control."

"Broke the hip to hell and got a new one."

From the floor came Doris' voice, "No, no, I'm fine, don't need a hand up. Even though I am your.... Boss."

Kim bit a smile back and helped Doris off the ground. Doris glanced between the two women and shook her head, "You two know each other. Of course you two know each other..." She shook her head again, "This place is more incestuous than Springfield." With that parting shot she put a hand to her back and stalked off towards where Security had stopped the still ranting and cursing young man.

Abby appeared with Doctors Dave Malucci and Tony Gates behind her. But whatever she was about to say was forgotten when she saw the blonde. "Kim." She gave the slightly taller and much blonder woman a crushing hug, then stepped back. "You're here. Are you filling Carl's job?"

"I am."

"Good." She glanced towards Kerry. "Found Tony, just have to swing by the day care for Joe. Twenty minutes okay?"

Kerry nodded, "Fine."

Kim raised her eyebrows as Tony and Dave both skedaddled to see patients. "You and Abby, really?"

Kerry shot Kim a perfectly serious look, "Not that you have any right to the info, but no, we're friends. You remember what a friend is Kim?"

"Ouch."

Kerry shook her head, "I don't really have time for this. I have to hand off to Dave and pack up Henry and Juliana."

"I'm surprised you approve of Dave working in your ER as an attending."

Kerry studied Kim for a long few moments, "You're right, I don't generally give second chances."

With that Kerry strode off. Kim watched, she'd never seen Kerry walk without a crutch. She tried to shake her thoughts away, then sighed. A laugh came from behind her and she turned. "Same Doctor Legs."

"Randi. What are you doing here?"

Randi rubbed her fingers together, "Have you seen the economy out there? SO, are you caught up on the hospital gossip yet?"

Kim leaned against the admit desk, "New Chief of Psych, new Chief of Surgery, new CEO of the hospital, or whatever they're calling her now, new Chief of the ER, sorta. How am I doin' so far?"

Randi gave Kim a sarcastic thumbs up, "You passed. I'll see you around?"

"I'm here until the new Chief of whatever, the big woman upstairs, decides she should fire me."

Randi chuckled.

oOOOOo

"I need to go to the library Mama..."

Rachel Greene winced when Henry spoke to Kerry. "Yeah, that would be my fault."

Kerry smiled as she closed the oven and hoisted little Juliana into her arms. The almost one year old child gave a sigh and put her head down on her mother's shoulder. "It generally is." She turned to her son. "Well, tonight Aunt Abby and Joe are coming for diner. So, is tomorrow soon enough young man?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically, then went back to studying whatever was lying in pieces in front of him.

Rachel shook her head, "I think he's not going to be a doctor."

"Nope."

The door bell rang, "Ah, do you want me to go downstairs? I have lots of work to do."

"No. Stay, visit... unless it's something pressing."

Rachel laughed as they both went into the living room. Kerry put Juliana in her play pen then went to the door. "As if Elizabeth lets me fall behind. I think she convinced all my professors to give her my syllabi."

Kerry opened the door. "Abby. Hello Joseph."

"Hi. Can I see Henry?"

Kerry smiled. "He's in the kitchen, putting back together my blender I think." Joe didn't wait for Kerry to finish her sentence before he was gone. Kerry shook herhead, "It'll probably transport us to an alternate universe by the time he's done with it. Come in..."

Abby put her things down, "Rachel, how's your first year going?"

"'Bout the same as my senior year of college. And I really should go downstairs and work on... everything."

Kerry started to speak, then changed her mind about what she was about to say and nodded. "Leftovers will be where they always are."

Rachel left Abby, Kerry, and Juliana alone in the living room. They sat. "She's living in the apartment downstairs?"

"She is. Elizabeth thinks I'm keeping an eye on her. And every once in a while I leave Henry and Juliana with her and get away."

Abby frowned, "But weren't you in Miami?"

"The Grad Student she was living with just got to be too much. Getting an MFA or some other nonsense, I guess there were just a few too many parties. When I moved back in here Elizabeth called me."

"Elizabeth thinks?"

As if on cue Juliana gave a cry for attention. Kerry picked her up and gave her a bounce. "I have two kids. Rachel is not my third, not by a long shot. At some points I didn't even like her father. No, if she wants or needs help, I'm here, otherwise she can drive, vote, and drink, she's a big girl."

"You have become mellow Kerry Weaver."

Kerry laughed, "I think Chaz, Cassie, Tony and all the others would disagree. So... where's Luka?"

Abby sat back on the couch and put a hand over her eyes. "I think, no, I know it must be me, but... he's in Africa. We're... divorced. God that sounds so..." She opened her eyes and looked at Kerry. "What am I supposed to do? Everyone I love runs like hell away from me and to Africa. I'm getting a complex."

"You could always try women."

Abby narrowed her eyes at the smirking Kerry and her smiling daughter. She scooted over to Kerry, and as she leaned in she put her hand on Kerry's knee. "Have you earned your toaster yet?"

Kerry leaned in and kissed the tip of Abby's nose. "Not ever gonna happen Abigail. Not to mention, I'm swearing off women forever."

"Even Kimberly Legaspi, the one that got away?"

"Gah, especially Kim."

From the kitchen came a buzzer ringing followed closely by, "Mama... the timer rang."

Kerry stood and handed Juliana to Abby. Both were surprised for a moment, then Juliana realized that Abby was just as comfy as Kerry and settled down. "Time to feed the masses."

oOOOOo

"So, who's the hottest. Hahn, Wolfe, or Legaspi."

Cassie didn't even look up from her chart. "What, no Weaver on that list?"

The third year med student, Wes Howard, groaned, "She's a bitch. They don't count."

"She's a leader Howard. Not all women are followers."

"Still doesn't count Fraiser."

Dave stopped at the desk, "Are you waiting for test results Wes?"

"No."

"Then you're off."

"No."

Dave handed him a chart, "Then get to work."

He did and Dave got a pat on the back, "You're starting to sound like her Davey."

"Shut up Randi."

Cassie spoke up, "She's sorta right. Though I don't know how you sounded before."

"I was an ass whose life was falling down around his ears. I turned myself around and now she's given me a second chance, and now that I have Dex and a job I love, I'm not screwing it up again." He put a hand up to forestall Randi's comment, "Yes, I know that her second chances come once in a blue moon. Now, could we all get back to work, she has spies everywhere."

When Dave was far enough away from the admit desk Randi chuckled, "I know."

Cassie just shook her head.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's like the two of you have switched sides."

Kim groaned, "Do you ever go home Randi?"

"The question is, do you?"

Kim sighed, "Where's my 'thinks he's pregnant' Randi?"

"Exam Four. And don't forget your meeting with the big boss before you go."

Kim threw up a hand and stared down at her clipboard. She was jerked out of her reverie by the impact with another body. They held onto one another and both managed to stay upright. Erica spoke first, "Sorry. Erica Hahn."

"Kim Legaspi. Are you coming from four?"

Erica nodded, "You do Psych consults?"

"I try to cover the ER when I'm not buried in paperwork. I'm surprised you're doing them though."

Erica shrugged, "Just getting the lay of the land. In the future it'll go back to normal. But, this is a teaching hospital after all."

"It is."

Erica gestured back with her head, "Good luck."

Kim flashed her most charming smile, "Don't need luck Doctor Hahn, I'm just. that. good."

Erica chuckled, "Now you sound like a surgeon Doctor Legaspi."

"Well, there are some things you're specialty are very good at."

Erica shook her head and moved to the side. "I'm going to chose to take that as a compliment."

Kim inclined her head. "That's good." She disappeared into the exam room, leaving Erica there, shaking her head.

oOOOOo

"And he's your patient, of course." Kim shook her head as she walked up to the admit desk. "I'm putting him on a 72 hour hold, we'll see what's up."

Kerry nodded and took the chart from Kim. "Ah... and at some point he'll be passing a doll's head."

"Ah, that's why Doctor Hahn was down here."

Kerry only seemed to be paying half attention to Kim, "Did you work your magic on her?"

Kim looked up in surprise, "You seein' things Kerry?"

"You could charm candy from a baby." Randi handed something to Kerry who looked it over, signed it, and handed it back. "Have a good day Kim."

Kim shook her head as Kerry left, "Does she hate me or not?"

Randi studied Kerry as she spoke to Chaz and followed him into the suture room. "I don't think she knows. It's been hard for her. You know about Sandy dying a couple of years ago. Last year her new... partner, SO,... whatever you're supposed to call her, Courtney, she died giving birth to little Jules, and Jules..." Randi shook her head, "There's a story for sure. So, Kerry came back to have Henry and maybe her too, close to the only family she has left. Crazy Florina and this damn place."

Kim processed the new info for a second. "Is that why she hired Malucci back? Old times?"

Randi shrugged, "Probably. But he's been pretty good. Setting a good example, teaching. It's like his old brain was replaced with a working new one." Another shake of her head, "And he has a son you know. Seven years old. The guy wasn't actually lying when he was fired. Dexter O'Conner. And you about to be late with the scary Wolfe."

Kim groaned, "I know, I know..."

oOOOOo

Kerry mumbled to herself, "Damn idiot Jacques Rogge." And stared out at what had become, without her knowing it, her city. "Stupid idiot."

"Are you going to jump Doctor Weaver?"

Kerry looked up and over though she didn't move from the edge of the building, "I'd need to get up on the ledge first Doctor Hahn."

"Erica."

"Kerry."

Erica joined Kerry at the ledge and leaned against it. "Now that that's out of the way. This..." She glanced around, "Is this your place? Am I intruding?"

"Nope. I just needed somewhere quiet to use my phone. You?"

Erica stared out at the rest of Chicago. "Just trying to get my bearings. You've worked here before."

Kerry nodded slowly, "Twelve years or so, started as the Chief Resident, then Attending, a couple of false starts as Acting and Interim Chief of the ER, full Chief... then eventually Chief of Staff."

"May I ask why you went to Miami?"

Kerry looked over at Erica, "Why'd you come to Chicago?"

Erica inclined her head, "I'll shut up then."

"They were making cutbacks."

Erica stood up straight and turned so that she faced Kerry fully. "I thought you were Chief of Staff?"

Kerry didn't move, still stared out at what she could see of Chicago. "The 1812 Overture, my career has been like that. Sometimes I'm attacking. Fanfare and everything, and sometimes I'm retreating and... every once in a while I get to have a moment of peace with friendlies at camp."

Erica was silent for a moment. "So, are you the Russians or Napoleon?" Kerry turned to look at Erica. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I took more than Pre-Med in College. Some music appreciation course. God, we had to go over that song in such minute detail. Surgeons aren't just about cutting 24/7/365."

"I... of course not."

Erica cracked a grin, "It's more like 23/7/362."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "Three whole days?"

Erica moved her finger in a circular motion, "Over the entire year." Kerry smiled.

They both fell silent. "Why weren't you Chief of Staff anymore?"

"A mistake."

A bitter laugh came from Erica. "Hey, there's a doctor in the world who gets held responsible for her actions, it's a miracle."

Kerry turned so they were face to face, "Ah, so you are a perfect surgeon then, you've never made one single mistake in your entire career. I'm impressed, good for you, I'll be sure to let all the proper award committees know. The rest of us just have to get along being human."

Kerry's nose bumped Erica's and the redhead took an instinctive step back when she realized their closeness. They were silent. An uncomfortable silence that sang like first harmonic. It was Kerry who finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry. You came up here to get to know me and I bite your head off."

"It's okay. Surgery and Emergency are yin and yang. I need to know if you were hired back here as a pity hire or you have the skills, that's why I asked, no other reason. So, I'm sorry."

Kerry thought for a moment before she spoke, "Ask my staff. Chuny, Haleh, Randi..." A small smile came to Kerry's face, "Ask Doctor Malucci. He and I have a... unique history."

Kerry strode away not a bit of doubt in her walk. "Ask around huh?"

oOOOOo

"What's your opinion on the co-accretion theory?"

Kim looked up, confused. She'd just sat down in front of Doris Wolfe's desk. "Excuse me?"

"I've been reading a book about how the moon came to be, my daughter recommended it to me. Co-accretion, fission, capture, or impact?"

Kim shook her head, "I, u, I don't know. Is there..."

Doris finished Kim's thought, "...a point to my question. I rarely do things by mistake Doctor Legaspi."

Kim tilted her head to one side and spoke, "So, then what's the point?"

"I'm not stupid. You can put that on the grapevine for me. I'm not a Doctor, but it seems to me that the Doctors you've had in this office have done a piss poor job of keeping this place anywhere near running well. So, never again think that because I don't have an M.D. by my name that I'm stupid, it will be your last mistake as an employee of County General." Before Kim could respond Doris continued, "But, I didn't ask you here to threaten you, though it's been fun, but to get to know you... and my other department heads."

Kim gestured to the desk and computer. "You have my CV, my research, my personnel file."

Doris shook her head, "You know as well as I do, that's not you."

Kim regarded Doris. "I'm single, never married, will probably never be married. No kids, not an alcoholic, not a druggie, don't smoke, but I do like to have fun with my friends, one of whom is a lawyer like you by the way. I grew up here in Chicago, my family's here, and if you fire me it had better be damn well lawsuit proof of I will own this Hospital." Kim pushed herself out of the chair, turned on her heel and was out the door in a moment.

Doris spoke loudly at Kim's back, "Good to meet you."

oOOOOo

Erica stared down at the surgery from the corner of the gallery. She'd never liked watching surgeries instead of doing them, no matter if they were cardiac or mole removals. She shook her head and focused back onto the paperwork in front of her.

"Oh... sorry. Thought I'd be alone."

Erica looked up, "You are?"

"Ah, Med Student. First year at the University, I..." She shook her head as her face turned light pink. "The hospital, being near, sometimes being here helps me study."

Erica hid her reaction, "Do you have a name or should I call you Med Student?"

"Rachel Greene."

Erica gestured that Rachel should sit, "I may call you Med Student anyway, and you say your name as if I should know it."

Rachel took out her textbook, "No... I mean, you're new, so there's no reason you should know it. My father, he was a doctor here for many years. Mark Greene."

"Let me guess, in the ER?" Rachel nodded. "So, then, you've known Doctor Weaver for a while."

"Kerry, sure, I live with her."

Erica frowned, "What?"

Rachel nodded as she took out a pen and notebook, "She has an apartment on the bottom floor of her place. Rents it out to starving students and the like. I live there currently. The Pro is that she is a helluva cook. The Con... she has two kids."

"She doesn't see a, conflict, between housing you and you eventually doing rotations in the ER?"

Rachel shrugged, "Nah. Not now. After Sandy and Courtney, it took her some years, but she figured out what most people know at birth, that you've gotta be a whole person in all your lives, home, work, whatever." Rachel let go a short laugh, "And trust me, I'm dreading my ER rotation just as much as everyone else in my class. You're surgery?"

"I am. What are you considering?"

"I'm not sure, I'm leaning towards Neurosurgery, or perhaps some sort of Pathology."

"A surgeon or an ME? Two quite different specialties. I should let you get back to studying." She gathered up her paperwork. "Thanks for giving me some insight into Doctor Weaver."

Rachel shrugged, "Sure. I..." Rachel shook her head, "Growing up my Dad never really liked her. She can be a class A bitch, but all he saw was what she shows to the public. But, with Jules and Henry, with their Uncle Carlos... she can be a bitch on wheels when she needs to be, but she's a person too Doctor."

"Thank you Rachel, I'll keep that in mind."

oOOOOo

"Doctor Weaver, hello. Would you have a seat?"

Kerry looked at the two visitor chairs and back up at Doris, "I'd like to stand. I have a lot to do downstairs, and I can make this short."

"Oh?"

"I don't want your job. That you let me take care of my department, that's all I ask."

Doris barely moved, she opened a folder. "You've taken good care of the ER... for the most part."

"2000, 2001, and 2002." Kerry paused, "Outside issues that came into play during those years."

"Issues you've resolved?"

"Issues I've resolved."

Doris sat back and folded her hands on the desk, "If you're busy I will let you go back to work, but I didn't make this appointment so we could have a pissing contest."

"Ike's."

"Excuse me?"

Kerry put a hand on the back of one of the chairs. "This is all so that you can get to know employees of the hospital. If you really want to know about the Doctors, Nurses, PAs, everyone at County. Go to Ike's bar tomorrow night after work. It's where those who need to wind down after a hard shift or three go. If that's it."

Doris nodded and Kerry disappeared. "Ike's Bar."

oOOOOo

Kim was at the ER's admit desk when she heard the voice. It wasn't the voice that caught her ear though, but the words used. Big words for such a young voice. "It's just superficial Ms. Marquez. You don't have to get my Mama."

Kim turned. On the hospital bed with a frowning Chuny next to him was who could only be Henry Weaver. He looked nothing like Kerry of course, and yet as he spoke again she could tell he was Kerry's son. "I was running through the house after Eddie and Jose, they dodged Nanna's vase, but I didn't..."

Chuny studied the cut that ran along Henry's chin, put a gauze pad into his hand and pressed it against the cut. "Sorry Henry, but you're going to need stitches bud, and since you're only five..." She ruffled his hair and mumbled under her breath, "...though I usually doubt that." She spoke to Henry again. "Getting your Mom is non-negotiable."

Henry sighed, "Okay, okay..."

Chuny looked around and met Kim's gaze. Kim shook her head once, then a second time, trying to be more emphatic. Chuny didn't pay attention, moving to the Psychiatrist and pulling her towards Henry's bed. "Henry Weaver, th is is Doctor Kim Legaspi. She's a doctor who works here too. She'll keep you company until I find your Mom, okay?"

Henry nodded as Chuny left them alone. "You work here?"

Kim blinked, brought her clipboard up and crossed her arms over it. "Not in the ER, no, I work up in the Psych department."

"Oh."

Kim smiled, "Psychology, Psychiatry." There was still no comprehension on Henry's face and Kim relaxed a bit. Henry was smart, a genius probably, but he didn't know everything. For some reason that reassured Kim. "Well, your mom works on cases where, like you, something hurts on their body. I help heal people's brains, their minds. If someone's really, really, really sad, or really, really happy, or when you can't think right and it gets scary for them or other people."

Henry nodded, "When Courtney died Mama was really, really sad. Do you know my Mama?"

"I did, years ago. Before you came along."

"Do you like her?"

Kim hoped that Henry didn't catch the fact that she pinked up a bit at the question, "Uh, like her?"

Henry shrugged and for just a moment Kim could see the five year old that was hidden behind the too smart for his age kid. "People don't always like Mama."

Kim put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "I definitely like your Mom Henry." Kim looked up, "And I see your Mom comin' now, so..."

"Hafta go help someone who's sad?"

Kim smiled, "Exactly. Bet I'll see you around though." She gave his hair another ruffle and left the side of the bed as Kerry appeared.

The redhead gently removed Henry's hand with the gauze from his chin, "Henry Guillermo, what happened?"

Henry swallowed, "Don't be mad."

"I'm... I'm not. Here's what we're going to do. I'll give you a couple of stitches, then Uncle Carlos will pick you up."

Henry's eyes got big, "Oooh, ooh, I forgot... oh." His face fell, "I still get to see the Cubs? Please, I can fix the vase, or... or, get another one, or..."

Kerry helped her son off the gurney. She took one of his hands and he put his other against his chin again. "Let's start with this. Tell me what happened and why it will never happen again mister."

oOOOOo

Kim downed her shot and flipped over the glass. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Long day?"

Kim glanced over. It was Doris. "Something like that. You get your head handed to you by Kerry?"

Doris took a sip of her wine, "Was I supposed to?"

"You have her job."

"She said she didn't want it?"

Kim looked surprised, "Really. Kerry Weaver? Red hair, sometimes surly. Hell, usually surly."

Doris shrugged, "All I know is what she said. I heard her son came into the ER."

"Yeah, he needed stitches." A song started on the jukebox. "You wanna dance?"

"Uh?" Doris swallowed and her mouth suddenly went dry.

Kim held her hands up, "Hey... you can just tell me to go to hell, I..."

"No. Yes."

Kim frowned, "Right, so, I didn't think I was that drunk. That made no sense."

Doris took Kim's hand and dragged the blonde woman to where other couples were doing something that sort of resembled controlled seizures. Doris paused imperceptivity before she put her arms around Kim's waist. Kim did the same. "Yes I'll dance with you... and yes, your gaydar still works."

oOOOOo

"You're here..."

Kerry glanced from her seat at the admit desk. "Erica. I don't think we called for a consult."

Erica shook her head, "No one did. I'm just heading out. Hoping that I remembered correctly where I parked. I don't do well in parking lots. I'm surprised you're still here."

"One kid's at a baseball game with his Uncle. Other's at her Nanna's. How are you settling in? Used to the less rain yet?"

"Seattle, rain." Erica narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "That's funny, because in all my time in Chicago I have yet to hear a rainy Seattle joke."

Kerry chuckled, "Well, just wait 'til your first Chicago winter. They're barrels of laughs. Snows every Thursday you know."

Erica adjusted the bag on her shoulder, "If they're so bad, why'd you come back?"

Kerry glanced up as a gurney rolled in and Abby and Cassie took it. "It's an addictive city." A second gurney rolled through the ER doors. Kerry saw Chaz going towards it and moved to join him. "Because any other explanation would mean I'm not quite sane."


	3. Chapter 3

"And, and then Carlos stood up and he caught it and his hands were all red and he gave me the ball and, and he got Fox to sign it, and, and he was really, really awesome and..."

"Henry."

Henry trailed off and looked up, "Thank you for letting me go Mama."

Kerry shook her head, "Eat your breakfast okay? There's lots of time to tell me all about the game, and don't forget that you promised me you'd help out Nanna."

Henry nodded, and bit his lip, "They won..." Kerry stared at Henry for a moment and after a pause where he seemed to be debating whether or not to speak again he started eating again.

It wasn't long though before he swallowed a bite and spoke again, "Jules gonna go sometime?"

"To the Cubs?" Henry nodded, "Maybe if she wants to when she's older. But what if she's a White Sox fan bud?" Henry made a pffftt sound with his lips and Kerry had to hold in her laughter.

Henry ate in silence for a few more minutes before he put down his spoon and looked up, "May I please be excused Mama?"

Kerry nodded and Henry disappeared from the kitchen. She glanced at her daughter, happily playing instead of eating her food. "So, do you know what's going on in your big brother's head?"

Juliana held her hands up towards Kerry. "Mama."

Kerry smiled to herself, "Let's get you ready for day care Juliana."

oOOOOo

Kim tried to put a hand to her head, but came fully awake when she realized she couldn't. She moved only her head and groaned inwardly. Everything came flooding back as Doris' eyes opened.

Doris spoke first, "I know that look."

Kim didn't move, but did close her eyes again. "You mean, you've slept with your boss and then realized that it could be the last decision you ever make in your medical career?"

"Okay, maybe I know a look quite related to that look." Doris sat up and Kim flexed her hand, the feeling flooding back with the prickles of pain. "Do you regret it?"

Kim let a small self deprecating smile through, "Not yet. But you haven't seen me work yet. Look, I'm..."

"Not looking for anything serious. See, I told you I knew the look."

oOOOOo

"She likes you."

Kerry groaned as Abby popped into the room. "Am I going to have to get you some Lithium?"

This stopped Abby for a moment before she chuckled, shook her head, and went back to getting her coffee. "You're hilarious when you're sleep deprived. And I'm right... Hahn and Weaver, sittin' in a tree."

"If I had the energy I'd wash your mouth out with soap. Why are you so happy this morning?"

Abby shook her head as she sat down. "Not telling. And she does by the way, like you. I know well the... 'I'm madly in love with Kerry Weaver' look. Having seen it two, no... three times now. And that's not counting Dr. Hahn."

Kerry took a long drink of her coffee. "I don't have time."

"Neither do I..." Kerry raised an eyebrow and Abby smiled. "Still not telling." Abby stood. "Well, I need to go or my boss will get mad, especially since she's looking a bit worse for wear." Kerry's other eyebrow joined the first, "And you... you Kerry," the former nurse spoke as she backed out of the room. "...you need to get laid."

Abby hit the door with her butt and was gone, leaving Kerry talking to an empty space. "That is the truth."

oOOOOo

Kim sat perfectly still at the large conference table. She'd totally forgotten about the meeting. Her first department heads meeting. Down at the other end of the table sat Doris and as Kim surveyed the room she realized that Kerry was the only one missing. Her eye went to the only open seat in the room. The seat directly across from Doris. Kim sighed, and she sat in one of the two seats that would be within splatter distance of Kerry. "This is going to be fun."

Janet Coburn sat across from Kim and gave the blonde a smile, "Isn't that the whole reason to come to these things? They were mighty boring without Kerry. Cate was just so..." Janet shook her head. "She had actual people skills."

Kim bit off a laugh, "Kerry does too, they're just..."

A voice sounded at Kim's shoulder, "...buried deeper than will ever be reached by man, or woman for that matter?" Kim could feel the blood rush to her neck and face. Kerry touched the tips of one of Kim's ears. "That's a good shade on you Kim." Kerry's touch didn't help the heat, but it did redirect it.

Kim cleared her throat as Doris started the meeting. The new head of the hospital introduced herself and introduced Kim and Erica as well, but Kim's mind wasn't on the meeting. The single refrain that was running through her head was, 'No, no, not again, never again, no, no, no', over and over. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She stood and was out of the room like a shot.

Doris stopped mid sentence and frowned at the door. "Ah..."

Kerry stood, "I'll go see what's wrong."

Doris nodded, "Thank you Doctor Weaver."

Kerry left and Janet tried to lighten the mood, "Usually it's Kerry who leaves all of a sudden and usually there's much more yelling."

oOOOOo

"Does she know?"

"No. I didn't tell her."

"She's going to find out."

"Of course. She wouldn't be her if she didn't find out. Do you think that's a bad thing if she does?" Abby waited and waited, then sighed. "That was what's known as pausing too long."

"I'm sorry, no, it's not a bad thing. I hope."

oOOOOo

"I would have rather had..."

"Jack Kayson."

Kim turned in the pew as Kerry came into the Chapel and closed the door. "That's the problem. You know me better than even my family, you've always known me." Kerry sat down in the pew behind Kim and stayed silent. "Kevin never understood you."

"Kevin?"

Kim frowned, pulled out of her story, "Oh, you never... Right. We flamed out before meeting the family. I have two brothers, and a sister. Kevin's my twin. Then there are the younger twins, Freddie and Fiona, 17."

Kerry blinked, "17, as in, teeny bopper 17?"

Kim nodded, "Yep. Apparently Legaspi women are fertile as hell for a long damn time. Anyway... we've always had this thing Kev and I. We always... we had always fallen for the same women, the same type, only a few times in high school was it literally the same girl. Needless to say I won her heart."

"Needless to say..."

"What? Can I continue?" Kerry gestured that Kim should. "Anyway, then you came along." Kim shook her head, "He couldn't understand."

"The crutch?"

This made Kim focus on Kerry again, "What, no, at least, I don't think so. I didn't think of that. That would be stupid." Kim shrugged, "He could never explain to me why he didn't like you, and I could never explain why I did." Kim stared down at her hands, "I can't do it again."

"I can't either Kim."

Kim met Kerry's eyes, "I don't... I'm not even sure we can be colleagues."

Kerry chuckled and a small smile came to Kim's lips, "Somehow I doubt that Kim. But it's up to you... friends or acquaintances."

"Well, Randi would be depressed with acquaintances."

Kerry rolled her eyes and sat back, "And Abby's trying to match me with Erica Hahn."

"She's gay?"

"My gaydar is non-existent, I let other people do the... dar-ing for me."

"Doris is too you know."

"Really, are you sure?"

Kim nodded and blinked. "Uh... yeah, yes, fairly sure."

Kerry put a hand over her mouth, but the laugh still escaped, "You slept with her."

"Yes... laugh. At least I'm sleepin' with someone."

Kerry shook her head, "I'm... older than I was eight years ago, have a five year old who seems forty and an almost one year old. You find me time for sleep not to mention sex and I'm there."

"Don't tempt me woman."

Kerry shook her head and stood, holding a hand out to Kim. "We should really get back to the meeting, or at least check in with Doris."

Kim stood but didn't move from the pew. "You really don't want her job?"

"I have family here, Henry's family and Florina took to Jules like... even though..." Kerry trailed off, "She took to Juliana like her grandmother. In the ER I know where I stand, and understand the politics of it, unlike that of the TV biz, and, I like teaching, even if my students don't like my teaching methods much."

Kim chuckled and put a hand on Kerry's shoulder. "Don't like would be an understatement my acquaintance... but, they're better off for it."

oOOOOo

Doris was smiling in her office. That was a rare sight since she had taken the job at County. The person on the other end of the phone was the reason why. "See, you're just telling me this because you're in California, I'm in Chicago and you know it won't get back to Phillip or Buzz." Doris listened for a moment before she shook her head, "Okay, I'll let you go Ashlee. I love you." She waited for a second as Ashlee reciprocated the 'I love you' and then hit the call end button and carefully placed it on her desk. There was a knock on her door. "Come in."

It was Kim and Kerry. She hadn't expected them to visit her at the same time. Kim spoke. "Sorry for running out of the meeting. I, it wasn't you if you were wondering."

Doris' eyes went to Kerry and back to Kim. Kerry saw the look and spoke up. "My lips are sealed. We just wanted to make sure that we didn't miss any big news or policy changes."

Doris looked down, "Ah, well, we did decide to fire both of you." She looked up to two unbelieving gazes. "Not buying it?"

Kim turned to Kerry, "Our new boss has quite a... unique sense of humor huh?"

Kerry shot right back, "Well, you'd definitely should get to know it better then? 'Cause this time if you get fired I'm not stormin' into any men's rooms for you. Maybe a couple more date's would help?"

Kim didn't break eye contact with Kerry as she parried back, "You'd better come then, make sure I don't screw up huh? Bring newbie Erica along."

Kerry's eyes narrowed as Doris interrupted the interplay, "If you two are done. I have work, as do you two."

Kim turned to Doris, "We should double date. Make Kerry here take time away from her kids, speak to other adults. Tomorrow night, I'll make reservations for four."

Kerry took a hold of Kim's arm and turned her so they were facing each other again, "This isn't funny anymore Kimberly. I have two kids..."

"Fiona can baby-sit. She has her little card saying she passed babysitting classes, whatever they are, knows CPR, the Heimlich, and all she's been doing to me is complaining about how she's not going to have enough money next fall when she goes to college." Kim pulled out her trump card, "If you don't, I'll sic Abby on you."

Kerry stared at Kim, unblinking, as Kim stared right back, "One?"

"One."

Kerry poked her index finger into Kim's chest and the blonde looked down and back up, "And after that you stay off my back about my dating habits and you convince Abby and Randi to do the same. Is it a deal?"

"It's a deal." With that Kerry turned on her heel and stalked out of Doris' office.

Doris waited a moment, then spoke, still behind her desk. "Will you be asking me to this event?"

"Doris Wolfe, would you accompany me to dinner tomorrow evening?"

Doris sat back in her chair, "Let's see... go to dinner, a double date with three of my department heads. Where could that go horribly wrong." Doris shook her head, "Why not. I'll start my self destroying ways early in this city."

"7:00. I'll meet you here, I uh... don't quite know where we're going yet."

Doris inclined her head, "I'll be here."

oOOOOo

"Would you like to have dinner?"

Erica looked up from the paperwork on her desk. Just inside her office, the door closed behind her, stood Kim Legaspi. "Excuse me?"

Kim put a hand to her chest, "Not with me, though I'll be there. With Kerry... Weaver."

Erica looked warily at Kim, "Does she know about it?"

"She does. Look, I'm a Psychiatrist. She needs to get out and about and you seem to like her."

This didn't seem to make Erica feel better, "It's not a good idea to date co-workers."

Kim sank down into one of Erica's visitor chairs. "Ah, you too have had that great experience."

Erica stared at Kim for a second, "Yes." Erica paused, "Wait, no, if your next question is tell me about it..."

Kim held her hands up, "I try not to psychoanalyze other doctors, nurses, hospital people. Hasn't turned out well so far."

Erica paused again, "You're gay?" Kim nodded, "What was it like, I mean. Did you... how... damnit."

Kim sat forward and held up a hand. "I'm not a patient of yours. Incomplete sentences are just fine with me. I'm just guessing here, but you only realized that you like women in a 'Ghost' sorta way recently?"

"Ghost?"

"Demi Moore, Swayze God rest his soul, Whoopi, love in an Unchained Melody beyond the grave sort of way."

"Ah, okay."

"That doesn't mean you're gay." Erica started to speak again, but Kim didn't let her. "But you know the Kinsey scale and that isn't what you're asking me." Erica nodded. "For a few years, when I was thirteen, I knew something was different. My twin, a guy, was starting to scope out girls. Every once in a while I'd have a thought of one of the girls he was looking at, their hair, or how they looked in that days jeans... you get the idea. I convinced myself that I just wanted to be them, I was a bit... gawky in school. And I was busy, kept myself busy, schoolwork, spots, after school stuff. But then as a couple of years passed the liking of boys never seemed to take hold, not to mention my best friends who were girls started..." A smirk came to Kim's lips, "to really, really notice boys. And I realized that they were fine if I need something specific done, lifting, being even taller than I was, someone to talk to about how horribly bad or good the Bears were doing, but I had no desire to sleep with any of them." Kim paused and looked off into the past for a moment before she shook her head, "Anyway, one day I'd just gotten out of the shower, was wiping away the condensation on the mirror and just looked at, well, I guess myself, and it was as if I had found this one piece that was clogging up the machinary in my brain, and suddenly everything fit perfectly together. I was a lesbian, gay."

"Does that happen for everyone?"

Kim shook her head, "Of course not. Some have decades of back and forth internally or externally. Some figure it out and then ignore it, others stick with bisexuality whether or not they are, and others never question that they are anything but gay. There's no right answer to how to deal with coming out to yourself, and in the end... as much as it sounds corny and way too PC, but lesbian, gay, dyke, they're all just labels. And I have never fallen in love with a label. Anyway, I came out of the bathroom in my towel all freaked out and said to my Mom, 'I'm gay, what am I supposed to do now'."

Erica laughed, which, of course was why Kim had told the story. "Uh, I thought you were supposed to be the 'ultra cool with it' lesbian of Chicago."

Kim smiled, "Ah, so the grapevine still loves me. Good to know. It wasn't easy for me, it's not generally easy for any of those who are different, whether it be sexuality, skin tone, language, a crutch. And some of it is an act. But I am who I am now because of my Mom and Dad. You are who you surround yourself with. I was amazingly lucky when I... stumbled out of the closet I didn't know I was in to my Mom and Dad. They'd start spouting random gay and lesbian news nearly every day. Which, since I was fourteen, I seriously didn't care about too much. And my brother wanted to find a set of Identical female twins and double date." Kim chuckled, "There's only one constant in the world, every one in the world is different. So... will you go on the semi-blind date with the cute Chief of the ER that you like, and worry about if you're really gay the next day?"

"Some place with street parking?"

Kim raised her eyebrows, "Now, that we may have to delve deeper into, this improbable fear of open parking lots is not healthy Erica."

oOOOOo

"What?" Kerry seared the young brunette woman with a look. 

To her credit Cassie Fraiser didn't blink, or fiddle with her lab coat, just spoke, "I have a young woman. She came in with the police. She needs a rape kid done, but doesn't feel comfortable with me."

Kerry opened her mouth, then closed it and was silent for a long time. "We'll do it together. You've done one before?"

Cassie nodded, "A couple, yes, and I know I should be able to... I."

Kerry put a hand on Cassie's shoulder, "Lead the way and we'll figure it out together."

Cassie glanced at her Attending out the side of her eyes, "Are you going to go all alpha bitch on us again?"

"You're a second year resident." Cassie nodded even though Kerry hadn't phrased it as a question. "You have years of my emotional ups and downs to look forward to."

"Yay."

oOOOOo

"Hey Mom."

Nancy Legaspi was definitely shorter than her daughter Kim, but other than that the two were alike as two peas in a pod. Both with the same hair, the same smile and the same unique outlook on life.

Nancy hugged her daughter. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Fredrick Legaspi walked into the kitchen and gave his older sister a whack on the shoulder. He also shared looks with his mother and sister, blond hair, though his was cut close to his head. He was just a smidge shorter than Kim, but only being 17, no one thought that would last for too much longer.

"Sis, if you're home on a weekday, something's wrong. May as well tell Mom."

"Is Fiona home?"

Freddie gestured towards the back stairs with his head and finished biting through his apple. "Room I think, oohing and ahhing over some dude or other. She won't tell me who so I don't beat the snot out of him."

"Fredrick Legaspi."

Kim took the steps two at a time, leaving her mother and brother to debate the merits of violence on his classmates. She knew that her mother would win. She was a Legaspi, Legaspi women didn't lose unless they quit. Soon she was in front of what at one point had been her room. She'd never even lived in the same house as her two younger siblings, she'd already been in Med School when they'd been born. Still, Kim was all about family and she had always strived to be the coolest older sister despite the age difference. She gave the door a knock and opened it a smidge. "Fee?"

There was a sigh and a 'come in'. Kim did, closed the door and leaned against it. "Who is he and why won't you let Freddie teach him some manners?"

Fiona sighed again, "No. It's not... big, I just, I thought he'd ask me to Homecoming."

"Is it tomorrow?"

Fiona frowned, "No."

Kim sat down next to Fiona on her bed. "Then wait, and if he hasn't asked in a couple of weeks, you know you could always ask him. Or, you could get the most killer dress and go stag, making him wish he'd asked you."

Fiona shook her head, "I guess I'll see, it's just... Did you want something?"

Kim went with the change of subject. "Tomorrow night. Think you could babysit someone?"

"How many?"

Kim hid her smile, she knew she had Fiona hooked, "Two kids. One's almost a year I think. The other's five or so. Nice kids, regular pay... up to you."

"Sure, do they live close?"

Kim nodded and handed Fiona a slip of paper. "Yep, a couple of blocks from here actually."

Fiona took the paper and stuffed it in a pocket, "Now that you're back from the ends of the earth, are you gonna come to my games?"

"Are you guys any good?"

"Better than your years for sure."

"Puleeze little sister, I could still kick your ass on the field."

Fiona rolled her eyes, "Sure... I should probably study or something, so I'm not the only Legaspi failure."

Kim put a hand on Fiona's knee. "You just haven't found what you're supposed to do Fee. But you will... don't you trust your big sister?"

"It's just so hard Kim."

"I know. Just keep pretending to be happy every day and one day you may find that you're actually happy."

Fiona frowned, "That's your advice, aren't you supposed to be all psycho-y telling me that it's not hard, that I need to, I don't know, shut up my ID, or take a drug or, I don't know..."

Kim stood. "I'm off the clock. Email me your schedule and I'll see what I can get to for games. Ah, and tomorrow, seven, don't be late Fee."

"You gonna go get lucky?" Fiona wiggled her eyebrows. She laughed as Kim hucked a stuffed animal at her and left the room. Fiona leaned her head back against her bed frame and closed her eyes, "Fake it 'til it's real, fake it 'til it's real."

oOOOOo

"Hi Mama... can we go to the library?"

Kerry put down her backpack and closed the door with her foot, making sure not to jostle the miraculously still asleep Juliana. "I'm off all tomorrow, how 'bout after school?"

Henry made a face, "Okay."

Kerry caught up with him in the living room. "Hey bud. Let's talk." She sat a now awake Juliana on her blanket, sat down on the couch and hefted Henry onto her lap. "You and your sister are the most important two squirts in my life. Every second I'm not with you I'm thinking about you."

Henry wrinkled his nose, "Even in the bathroom?"

Kerry chuckled and ruffled Henry's hair, "Funny Henry, funny."

Henry put his head down on Kerry's shoulder. "It's okay that you work." He sighed, "Just not fair."

Kerry rubbed circles on Henry's back. "I know, but tomorrow we'll go have some nerdy fun. Where do you want to go first?"

Henry lifted his head, "First Greek Myths, then the weather."

"Sounds fun."

Henry put his head down again, "Is Jules comin'?"

"She is, is that okay?"

Henry paused for a moment, the nodded, "Yes." He paused for another beat, "Did you ever want a big brother Mama?"

Kerry leaned her head on the top of her son's. "Every day of my childhood bud."

"I'm a good big brother to Jules?"

Kerry kissed the top of Henry's head. "You're the best big brother Henry. Now..." As if on cue Henry's stomach growled. Kerry tickled it, "...it's time for dinner, and not a moment to soon it seems."

Henry giggled.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, my real question. Your last job ended... abruptly, will this one?"

Erica sat up just a bit straighter in her chair across from Doris. "I don't anticipate it will." Erica paused for a moment, "Has yours moved on?"

Doris looked up at Erica. "What did you say?"

Erica sat back and studied the window behind Doris' head. "Mine has. To a new, younger, non-glasses metaphor using model apparently."

"You've lost me."

Erica met Doris' gaze. "I think you understand. What are you running from?"

Doris raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head a bit. "A place where everyone knows my business." Erica waited. "Fine. I'll never have... have..."

Erica enunciated the word for Doris, "Her."

"Yes, her. So, it was time to move on and here I am. How about you? Did you break up because of whatever your problem at work was?"

Erica gave a harrumph, "Among other things. She'll go back to me. But, now Arizona can deal with it."

Doris frowned and looked down at Erica's file, "I thought you came from somewhere in Seattle?"

Erica shook her head, "That's her name, can you believe it. Arizona Robbins. Perky Pediatrician. Addison sent me a picture. Gah..."

Doris put a hand over her mouth, "But you're over this woman..."

"Can't you tell?" The two women's gazes met and after a second they both laughed.

They trailed off. Erica glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. "Wow, sorry about that, I didn't realize how long it had been. I need to go."

Doris stood with Erica and seemed to be debating wither or not to say something further. Erica was almost at the door when Doris spoke. "Ah, just... you know that tonight. It's not about us, it's about them. Kerry and Kim. I can see it in their eyes. We're just... an excuse."

Erica frowned, "Kim seemed adamant that it was you and her, and Kerry and me."

Doris held her hands up, "I'm not the psychiatrist in this foursome, and she probably thinks she means it, but, trust me, I've been lying for decades, some to myself, some to the world. Those two will end up together."

It was Erica's turn to study Doris, "Why do you care? Why are you warning me?"

The pause was just a second too long before Doris responded, "I do not want Jack Kayson as my Chief of Surgery, or Dale Edson for that matter."

Erica nodded, "Got it. I guess I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight."

oOOOOo

"Uncle Carlos."

Carlos swung Henry into his arms and in a circle. "Hey bud. Did you have fun at the library?"

Henry made a 'duh' face. "Yeah, let me down. Wanna show you all I got."

Carlos sent a beseeching 'rescue me' look towards Kerry who shrugged and managed to hold back the smile and laugh until Carlos was out of the room.

It was twenty minutes before Carlos reappeared, shaking his head. "Da..." Kerry narrowed her eyes and Carlos' word choice changed mid syllable. "..arn. What do you feed him, or does he download it all directly from the books every night."

"There are age appropriate stories too."

He leaned down and gave Kerry a kiss on the cheek, "Not criticizing. Are you sure that you didn't slip your egg in there?"

Kerry bristled a bit, "Your sister was very smart."

"Uh..." Carlos shook his head, "I remember one summer in particular. I was four, she was five, she made a mud pie and ate it all." A burst of laughter came from Carlos. "She puked for months and Mama... God help my sister, she was a lot of things, but she wasn't naturally bright like Henry back there. And on the subject of Henry, little league next year?"

Kerry's body came to a complete stop. "They have very good helmets?"

Carlos nodded slowly as if he were trying to calm a wild cat. "They are very safety conscious, I promise."

"You're one of the coaches?"

Carlos nodded again, "Yep, helped coach Eddie's team a few years ago. He has all his teeth, never broken a bone, or gotten a whiff of a concussion."

Kerry slowly nodded, "Okay, if he wants to do it." Carlos raised both eyebrows at the woman he considered his sister-in-law, "Right. He wants to be the first Cubs player to hit a homer on Mars, or maybe Pluto."

Kerry took off her half apron and hung it on its hook. Carlos gave a whistle at what she had on underneath and got a whack for his trouble. "What, when a woman looks beautiful it's only proper to appreciate it my dear Doctor."

Kerry smoothed down the fabric at her waist where the blouse she was sure was too revealing and the much more boring black pants met. "You sound just like your sister, and you're just as full of it."

Carlos gave a deep bow. "Always and forever." She stood back up with a smirk. "After all, she molded me. Have fun on your date Kerry."

Kerry rolled her eyes and went to Henry's room to say good-bye. Then, into the breach.

oOOOOo

Kim looked at her watch for the fortieth or fiftieth time. "What's taking her so long."

Doris and Erica's eyes met and Doris spoke, "Hey, that just means two blondes not one for me."

Kim sighed, "I pushed her into this... again."

Erica spoke up, "I do believe she has two kids correct? Children tend to make one late."

Doris laughed, "You're not kidding. I had this very important deposition. Ashlee was nine I think. She chose that day to manage to gash a hole in her leg from her foot to her knee." Doris shuddered, "That was a whole lot of blood."

"You don't like blood."

Doris shook her head, "Not particularly, no."

"Ironic, then, that you're working as the head of a hospital."

Doris watched as Kim seemed to relax, "Ironic, yes. Kerry's here?"

Kim nodded as Kerry appeared at their table, "Sorry I'm late, it was... it involved squid." She took her seat and everyone fell silent. "So, this is weird."

oOOOOo

"May as well get it over with." Abby sighed and dialed the phone. "Hey, it's Abby, are the back yet?" Abby listened and then spoke suddenly, "No. Are you sure? Are they sure?" Abby sighed, "If you won't come here I have to... No, I'm not going to leave you alone." Abby closed her eyes, "Thank you, thank you. Yeah. I love you too. Bye." She hung up and ran a hand through her hair, "Hey, Tony, I'm gonna take a break, hold the fort for me. I'll be in the lounge."

oOOOOo

"So you're part of fraternal twins as are your younger brother and sister. Wow, that's... was it natural?"

Kim chuckled, "Yeah, one was on purpose, one was an oopsie twenty-three years later."

"Ah, so that's the reason you're a lesbian, no oopsies." Kerry smiled as Kim gave her a push sideways. "What? What?"

The ringing of a phone interrupted them. Erica took it out and frowned, "Oh..." She opened it, "Callie?"

Doris blinked in surprise. All three women watched Erica as Callie spoke on the other end. Finally the surgeon nodded, "Thank you for calling me, for telling me, and make sure you take care of yourself. He was your husband. Tell Arizona to take care of you..." Another pause, "Take care Callie."

Doris put a hand on Erica's shoulder since she was the one next to the surgery chief. "What happened? Family?"

Erica shook her head, "George O'Malley, and Intern, well, I guess Resident now. He died."

"You two were close?"

Erica shook her head again, "No, but he was one of the nicest kids in the program. He had such great potential in his two hands."

Everyone fell silent for a few minutes. It was Kerry who broke the silence. "Do you want to go?"

"No, no, I need sugar and lots of it."

Kim glanced over at the next table, who had a couple of gigantic pieces of cake in front of them. "Oh, I'm pretty sure they have sugar here. We can..."

The first part of John William's "Imperial March" came from Kerry's phone. Kim raised an eyebrow as Kerry answered it. "Weaver." Her face slowly got paler and paler, then she stood. "I'm on my way. Thanks Tony." She had her jacket on and was out on the sidewalk before Kim caught up with her. "Ker, Kerry, what's wrong?"

Kerry's head bounced between Kim and the street, "My son."

Kerry started towards the EL station, but Kim grabbed her by the arm. "I'm coming."

"Kim."

Kim put her free hand to her lips and an astoundingly loud whistle came from her. A second later a cab appeared and Kim opened the door, helped Kerry in and got in herself. "County General."

From inside Erica and Doris sat there, a bit stunned. "Kim seems to always be walking out on me." She turned to Erica, "So, do you want to go now?"

Erica stood and sat down across from Doris, "Nope. I'm ordering a piece of cake and wallowing."

Doris and Erica had a bit of a stare down and finally Doris sighed, "Who needs skinny jeans anyway."

Erica smiled, "And you were right."

"I'm always right. What was I right about? Oh, you mean Kim and Kerry. Sure. It's not their fault, I've seen it before."

Erica regarded Doris, "Your 'never going to happen' woman?"

Doris nodded, "They had both been straight, hell, Natalia didn't even like Olivia. Nearly killed her."

"Oh?"

Doris' eyes twinkled, "You'll appreciate this. Olivia was waiting for a heart and Natalia locked her in a bathroom."

"Just for the hell of it?"

"So that Olivia wouldn't try to screw up Natalia's wedding to the guy they both thought they loved."

"Ah, of course."

Doris smiled, "What can I say. Springfield is a unique place. So..." Doris saw the waitress approaching. "Desert."

oOOOOo

Abby caught Kerry in her arms before the redhead could plow into the exam room. "He's okay. Broken arm, concussion, no bleeding. Take a breath." Abby glanced over Kerry where Kim stood, one hand on Kerry's back. Abby slowly let go of her boss. "Carlos is in with him. Jules is in the Doctor's lounge with Randi." Kerry nodded, "Tony called me after he called you."

Kerry took a long breath, "I'm going in." Neither Abby or Kim said a word as Kerry entered her son's room. Abby put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "God, that went better than I thought it would."

Carlos slipped out of the exam room and spoke to the two women. "Take good care of 'em. I have a shift." With that he was gone.

Kim looked in the door of the exam room. "I think I'll go relieve Randi."

"I'll stay on Henry's case."

Kim nodded, "Good." She pried her gaze from mother and son. "Good."

oOOOOo

"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville- mighty Casey has struck out." Kim rubbed a circle on Juliana's back, "You know, they could have been talking about the Cubs Jules."

"Actually some people think it's Holliston Mass, and others think it's Stockton California."

Kim looked up and started to stand, "I should... I'm sorry. I'll go."

Kerry ignored her, "I thought you were football and women's beach volleyball?"

"I am, and Team Handball. The US really needs a team you know. The thing is that I only have three things memorized fully, Declaration of Independence, Hippocratic Oath and Casey at the Bat. I figured the first two were a bit boring."

Kerry shook her head. "She's not even a year old Kim."

Kerry sank onto the couch in the lounge and Kim sat down again, with Juliana still in her arms. "Uh, do you want Jules?"

A small smile came to Kerry's face, "Are you kidding me? No way will I waste my kid being asleep by moving her." Kerry sighed and laid her head against Kim's shoulder. Kim managed not to jump, and breathed through it. Kerry spoke, "So, do you think Erica and Doris hit it off?"

Kim chuckled quietly, "Probably bonded over the craziness of us."

"Do you like Doris?"

Kim regarded the top of Kerry's head, "You're not supposed to care, remember?"

"Ah, right, I don't care."

Kim smiled to herself, "You promise not to hold what I say next against me?"

Kerry sat up, "Uh, okay."

"Since you. I haven't connected with anyone since you. Not really, not the same way."

Kerry swallowed, "Oh, I..."

Kim handed Juliana to Kerry. "I'm not... don't take it as anything more than a statement of fact. Please."

"Maybe..." Kerry rocked Juliana as she started to wake up a bit. "Maybe us being friends or trying to be friends will help with that?"

"Ah, you got your therapist's license while we were apart?" She softened her jab with a smile and got a head shake from Kerry for her trouble. "I should probably go..."

Kerry looked over at the clock and groaned, "And I may as well stay here."

"Would you like me to take Jules upstairs?"

Kerry stood and stretched her one arm, her back popping audibly. Kim winced at the sound, "Wow, you're gettin' older Ker."

Kerry gave Kim a one handed shove. Then handed Juliana to Kim, "You're hilarious."

"Yeah." Kim bounced a now awake Juliana in her arms, "I know. Go, go get your son where he needs to go. I'll take care of munchkin two."


	5. Chapter 5

Cassie's head jerked up as a hand came down on her shoulder. "It's a UTI."

"I sure hope not." Tony placed a cup of coffee in front of the second year resident. "You look like crap Cassie."

Cassie undid her ponytail and then redid it. "I haven't been sleeping as well as I should."

"You're a second year resident, you don't sleep. Only interns sleep less than you."

Cassie drank the proffered coffee. "I'm fine. What's next?"

Tony studied Cassie for a moment, then took two charts off the rack. "Take Chaz with you." Cassie nodded, "Oh, and Cassie.. get a nap."

Cassie entered the first room and blinked, "Rachel right? What are you doing here?"

Rachel pointed at the door that led to a bathroom. "Pretty sure it's intestinal." Cassie bit her lip, but Rachel smiled. "We're in the same... oh, I don't even remember which class we're in together, we were studying. You remembered my name."

Cassie nodded as the young man came out from the bathroom, looking quite ill. "So Mr..." She looked down at her chart, "Kort, tell me what's going on with you."

oOOOOo

Kim put a hand over her mouth, but the laugh escaped anyway. Doris shot the blonde Psychiatrist a pinched look. "I like the coffee."

Kim nodded, still smiling, "I know, the ER's coffee the best of the hospital. That's why I'm down here. But, not why I'm laughing."

Doris shook her head and took a long drink of said coffee. "Fine, I'll bite, why are you laughing?"

"You slept with her."

Doris nearly choked on her coffee. Kim rescued her with a couple of whacks on the back. "You... You're not even guessing." Doris paused, "And you don't seem..."

"Heartbroken?" Doris nodded, "No, I'm not heartbroken, do you like her?"

Doris shrugged and finished her coffee. "I don't know, but what's the worst that can happen if I try to find out?"

Kim and Doris' gazes met and winced.

oOOOOo

Kerry looked at the clock on the ER wall for the third time in the previous fifteen minutes. Florina and Guillermo had Henry. When she had dropped off her son she had explained everything that had happened. When she'd started to tell Florina about what to look for if Henry's concussion got worse Florina had put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. Then spoke softly, "My daughter had concussions Kerry, I will watch him, he will be okay. Do not worry."

That was hours ago. Kerry had tried to take Florina's advice, but she wasn't doing well. She took a chart. Sutures, she could deal with that. She spoke to the swing shift clerk. "Cassie's whereabouts?"

Tony spoke first. "I told her to get some rest."

Kerry nodded and moved towards the suture room. She pushed through the door and blinked, on the table was an ash blonde woman with a cut that went up almost the entire length of her arm.

But Kerry's focus wasn't on her patient, but on the man behind her that personified tall dark and handsome. Curly hair, piercing eyes and what seemed to be a permanent look of amusement on his face. "My God, you're Elizabeth Fitzroy..."

The young woman frowned and turned her head so she could see the man Kerry was talking too. "I thought you only wrote and drew comic books Henry?"

Henry Fitzroy tilted his head to one side, "It's actually Henry Fitzroy, and I may have written a few... bodice rippers in my time. How did you know who I was?"

"Carolyn Nit... that's my pseudonym." She held a hand out and Henry shook it. "Cold hands. I'm Doctor Weaver."

A snort of laughter came from the woman. "Weaver, Nit, cute."

Henry ignored his companion, "That's not needed Vicki, you are an accomplished writer Doctor Weaver. It is a shame that you killed off the... young blonde doctor. She was one of my favorite characters." Kerry sat down and started to fix Vicki's arm.

"Yes, well, I have been looking for a way to bring her back, but everything I try so far has come out sounding, well... like a bad afternoon soap. The miraculous twin or the... we buried the wrong body by mistake and she wasn't really dead just in a like dead coma."

Henry's head tilted to one side, "Have you thought of the more... paranormal explanations you could use?"

Kerry didn't pause in her repairing as she kept talking, "Like vampires, werewolves and demons? Some sort of spell?"

Henry was into the discussion and Vicki could barely stop herself from rolling her eyes, "Perhaps you can use the fact that the main character uses a crutch. Have this blonde woman come back as a vampire. Strong, play that off of the perceived weakness of the main character. By the end, have them find a spell or incantation that turns her back to a human who walks in the day, and does not need to feed, can see herself in the mirror."

Vicki's head jerked up and she stared at Henry, who pointedly ignored her. Kerry spoke to the glasses wearing woman. "Please, stay still." Then spoke to Henry again. "Do you think anyone would believe it? To just have a vampire appear out of nowhere, even though I've never built the paranormal into their world."

Henry was silent for a moment before he responded. "It's not unprecedented. Why did your main character fall in love with the young blonde doctor. Those before and the policeman and film director were all men. That hadn't been... built into the world until she appeared."

"Hmm... you make a good point." She finished the last stitch. "Keep it dry and..."

Vicki cut Kerry off, "I know the drill. The nurse'll give me a sheet with t he instr..."

Everyone whipped around as a soul wrenching ear splitting scream came from the end of the hall. Everyone in the suture room was surprised when Kerry was the first out the door. Henry and Vicki's gaze meant, "Think it's Ghorlg?"

Henry raised one of Vicki's wrists, "Are your tattoo's tingling?" Vicki shook her head and Henry walked to the door and looked out, "I think Kerry knew exactly who screamed and I don't think it was demon induced, at least not any demon in the waking world."

oOOOOo

Kerry skidded to a halt inside the room that on occasion turned into a pseudo on-call room. "Cassie, are you okay?"

Cassandra Fraiser looked as if she'd seen hell. "I... I..." Her back was as stiff as a board, her eyes didn't stay on one thing for more than a second, and her hands were shaking. "I'm sorry."

Haleh stuck her head in the still dark room. "Everything okay?"

Kerry nodded and turned her head, "Vicki Nelson needs care instructions, I signed her discharge papers. Tell everyone I was torturing Cassie, or something equally funny. Oh, and Haleh..."

Haleh nodded and finished Kerry's thought, "Room's off limits."

The two women stayed still in the dark for a few more minutes before Kerry spoke, "May I turn on the bedside light?"

Cassie nodded and covered her face with her hand, "God, I'm such a freak." She winced as the light came one, but didn't move.

Kerry waited another moment before she spoke again, "How long have you been having the nightmare you just woke up from?"

Cassie shook her head, "Five years or so. Ever since my Mom died."

"Janet."

Cassie looked up at Kerry for the first time, "How'd you know her name?"

"We went to Med School together. She joined the Air Force, I became Chief Resident here. You miss her."

Cassie swallowed, "She's, she was my mother, and I've... yeah, I miss her." Cassie sighed, "And then sometimes, it feels like she's right here next to me."

"Was she... KIA?"

Cassie shook her head, "There was no body, a... a lot of things were going on when she... when they said she died."

Kerry nodded, "Bodies are good. They give closure. Do... does the Air Force think she could be MIA and alive?"

Another shake of Cassie's head, "No... there's... God. It's just so much, and... and..."

"With every patient that you see here there's the chance that the sniffles is something worse, and he or she dies. You're not the first to feel the pressure, and you won't be the last. That brings up all this past stuff. As your boss I'm going to give you two choices, either go see Kim Legaspi, or go on a date. Platonic or romantic, I don't care, but go out, drink, coke or booze, and relax."

A short laugh came from Cassie, "Is that what you told Chaz?"

"Nope, he has a boyfriend, I told him to get laid. So, which will it be?"

Cassie held her hands up, "Date... definitely some sort of social situation. I've had enough shrinks trying to rip my brain apart to last a lifetime."

Good. Now, get back to work and stop lazing around." A chuckle escaped Cassie's lips and once the Resident was out the door Kerry smiled a tired smile of her own.

oOOOOo

"Kim." Kim gave no indication that she had heard her name.

The tall, dirty blond haired man tried again, "Kim." Still nothing. He walked up to the desk and slapped his hand on it.

Kim nearly jumped out of her skin. "Damnit Kevin."

Kevin Legaspi took a step back with the most innocent look he could muster on his face. He was tall like his father and sister, but unlike Kim, his coloring, hair and hazel eyes took after their father, not mother. "Hey, it's not my fault that you were oblivious. Any reason?"

"Nope."

Kevin sat down, "Nice try. So... what is it?"

"Who."

Kevin sighed, "Weaver. Seriously, Weaver again? You went to one coast, then the other... and you're still stuck on her? Why?"

"I don't know."

Kevin crossed his arms over his cheat, "Don't even try that with me Kim. I know that you've tried like hell to figure out what makes her different to you, different from Christy, Paula, or Petunia, different from any of the others."

Kim shook her head, "I don't know Kev."

Kevin stood, "I have an idea." He started towards the office door.

Kim stood too, "Kevin, what are you going to do, Kev, Kevin Legaspi." But by the time Kim got out of her office Kevin was nearly at the elevator. Kim sagged against her door frame and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Perfect, just perfect. What else could go wrong?"

In her office Kim's phone rang. She back tracked and picked it up. "Kim Legaspi." Her eyebrows went down and down on her face and finally she shook her head, "Okay, I'll be there, give me a minute to get over there." She paused, "Yes, yes, clothes would be good. Something loose."

oOOOOo

Kerry and Abby sat face to face at the table in the Doctor's Lounge. Both silent, Abby looked pensive and Kerry looked worried. Abby finally spoke, "I need time off." Kerry started to speak, but Abby continued, "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important and I'm not trying to play on our friendship."

Kerry put her hand on top of Abby's, "Tell me what's going on. Is it you, Luka?"

"No. My mother. She has a brain tumor, inoperable. I'm going to go over, pick her up, bring her to live with me." Abby's gaze was riveted to the table, "I..."

"Do you need someone to look after Joe?"

Abby looked up, "No, no, I'm going to make it an adventure and I think having him there will help her get to agree to come home with us."

Kerry nodded and sat back again, "Take the time you need Abby. Getting her and spending time with her. Have they tried any treatments at all?"

Abby shook her head, "I don't think so, but I'm going to make her see someone here when we get back."

Kerry quirked a half a grin, "Make?"

Abby sighed and smiled for a brief second, "Point taken. Thank you Kerry."

Kerry stood. "Anything else you need, just ask."

Abby also stood and after a moment she moved forward and hugged Kerry before stepping back, "I know you're not very religious, but keep her in your thoughts?"

"Of course. Your shift's over, go home, I'll take care of assigning your shifts."

"Thank you." Abby gathered her things and left Kerry alone in the room. She was alone for only another moment when Dave poked his head in, "Legaspi and the EMTs are coming in with a Jane Doe cut up really badly. I have..."

Kerry interrupted Dave, "You want me to take her."

"That'd be great. Thanks." He started to leave, but Kerry stopped him. "David, a moment."

Dave cam all the way into the lounge, letting the door swing closed behind him. "You need something Chief?"

"Why would you think that?" Dave gave his boss a look, "Abby needs time off, I need you to take a couple of her shifts."

Dave nodded faster than Kerry had ever seen him agree to anything thing she'd told him. "'Course."

"Good." Kerry paused, "It's not a good idea to like her Dave. She's involved with someone."

"You don't know that." He shook his head, "Are you telling me it as her friend, or our boss?"

"Both."

Dave held his hands up in front of him, "I'm gonna go now. Kim said that Jane Doe was altered too."

"Kim?" Kerry followed Dave out, "What's Kim doing with her?"

Dave stopped at t he admit desk, "I think that, uh... think Doe was a jumper maybe, or just a general psych patient." 

Dave shrugged and went to give one of his patients some bad news as the EMTs rolled the brunette Jane Doe in, Kim next to the gurney. They wheeled her into an exam room. Cassie was in the room with another patient, looked up and went white.

It was Kim who managed to stop the second year resident before she hit her head or totally contaminated the instruments. The EMTs and ER personnel lifted Jane Doe to the hospital bed. Kerry spoke to Cassie, "Are you here or do you need to step out Cassie?" Cassie took shallow breaths, her thoughts practically sprinting across her face.

Kim still had an arm around Cassie as the blonde spoke, "Ker..."

"Doctor Legaspi." There was no warmth in Kerry's voice, and no disobeying the tone. The redhead met Cassie's eyes. "In or out Cassandra?"

The full name seemed to snap her out of her funk, "In Doctor Weaver. WE need a CAT scan and X-Rays... uh."

Kerry put a hand up, "Do you want to run it? She seems stabilized aside from the skin injuries."

Cassie looked at the Jane Doe and back up at Kerry. "Yes, ah, yes."

Kerry took off her gloves and met Haleh and the other nurse's eyes, both nurses nodded and Kerry left the room. She wasn't surprised when Kim followed her. Kerry kept walking until they were out at the far end of the ambulance bay. "So, what do you think I did wrong this time Kim?"

Kim crossed her arms, "She recognized the woman."

Kerry leaned back against the hospital's wall, "Number one, no one could have recognized that woman with all the damage, cuts, swelling and bruising on her face. Number two, you shouldn't project."

"Ker, you know that if she knows that woman she can't work on her, shouldn't work on her."

Kerry's cheek jumped, "I worked on Sandy. Intubated her myself." She pushed off the wall and into Kim's personal space, "Courtney too. Shocked her four times. Would someone else doing those things have saved them? Tell me to my face that I killed the two women I loved. Tell ME."

Kim put her hands up, "That's not what I'm saying Kerry, but..."

Kerry sighed and took two steps back. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. "Look. I'm not their mother, not her mother. I gave her a choice, she took it. It was her choice."

Kim lifted Kerry's chin, "Tell me, please Kerry. What's going through your head, tell me."

Kerry moved Kim's hand away, but didn't look down again, "It's ironic you know. I'm such a... I like control so much, and yet my life seems to be permanently out of control. My coming out, Sandy's death, Courtney's death..." Kerry sighed, "Juliana."

"Your daughter?"

A bitter laugh came from Kerry, "At least with Henry, little Henry I had a choice, I was part of the decision." Kerry trailed off and didn't elaborate.

Kim frowned as she studied Kerry, "Courtney..." And then it seemed to dawn on Kim. "Oh, please tell me what I'm thinking is wrong Ker." Kim put her arm around the redhead and Kerry didn't move. "How long have you been bottling this up Kerry?"

Kerry shook her head, "I wasn't even there Kim, and then she was pregnant and... then." Kerry snapped her fingers and Kim nearly jumped at how percussive it sounded. "She was gone and there was Juliana and Henry to think about. It was her middle name. Courtney Juliana Brown. I called her Court 'cause she reminded me of some character I'd once seen on one of those order TV shows or something. We were going to name Juliana, Catherine Meredith after my mother and her mother, both are dead, but I just... I couldn't so... There was no one else, and then..." Kerry sighed, "At least this time I didn't screw myself over by not planning ahead enough."

Kim winced, "Kerry, have you even..."

Kerry cut her off, "There's no time Kim. What happened, happened, there's nothing I can do about it now except move on."

Kim removed her arm and stood face to face with Kerry again, "Say it. Tell me what happened Ker."

"You kn..."

"Tell me."

Kerry met Kim's gaze with a searing look. "Do not try to crawl into my head and fix me, just let me live my life." Kerry tried to get by, but the taller woman caught Kerry's arm. "Let go Kim."

"Tell me what happened to Courtney."

Kerry face was frozen in a tableaux of pain, she was teetering on the edge between pushing by Kim and crumbling to nearly nothing. Kim gently maneuvered them both between the small area between the two hospital buildings. Kim was likely better at reading Kerry than anyone else in the hospital and yet she had no idea which way Kerry would go, or even if it had been right for her to push Kerry like she did.

Kerry put a hand over her mouth, closed her eyes and then suddenly she was moving, but not running away. She rushed to the wall and threw up all that she had eaten. Kim stayed where she was and waited.

After a minute Kerry turned and looked up at Kim, "I... she was the one who made the choice, whether or not to keep Jules. I... Maybe I could have stopped her, could have convinced her, she'd still be here."

Kerry shook her head and barely moved when Kim wrapped the smaller woman in a hug for a long moment. "Will you come with me? Won't take long, I promise."

"Kim."

"Please."

Kerry finally nodded. Kim skipped the ER entrance and they went around to the front of the hospital and entered.

oOOOOo

Tony entered the exam room. "Is she stable?"

Cassie looked up and handed the chart to the Chief Resident. "Yes."

"By some miracle no serious no brain trauma, no broken bones, not brain dead, so, do we know why she's still comatose?"

Cassie shook her head, "Neuro's coming to take her upstairs, to run more tests, do a more thorough work up."

Tony looked at the chart again and up at Cassie. "Still a Jane Doe, no ID at all?"

"For now. The police are looking into that I think."

"Very good."

"I..." Cassie paused, "I'm nearly off, I was going to go up with her."

Tony hung up the chart, "Any other patients?"

Cassie shook her head, "No, Abby signed off on them before she left."

"Then sure, maybe she'll wake up and we can find out who she is and what the hell happened."

oOOOOo

"Doctor Kylie Sparrow."

Kerry frowned at the card in her hand, "What?"

"She specializes in..."

"No."

"Yes. This isn't for you, this is for Henry and Juliana, so you don't do something you'll..."

"I love my daugh..."

Kim raised her voice above Kerry's, something Kerry had never heard her do in the entire time they'd known each other. "Shut up and listen for a half a fucking second Weaver." She cleared her throat and lowered her volume a bit, "This is so that you don't one day find you resent your daughter, or can't deal with your son, or hold it in so much that it all comes out in some horribly destructive way. I know that you can't stand weakness, the second Randi realized we were dating, or whatever the hell we were doing eight years ago, she told me how you found Lucy and Carter and the whole time you were working on them, never once did you crack. She also told me how after the first flurry you went outside and threw up. That's not good Kerry, and this, that was puppies and flowers compared to this Ker. Denial, it always comes back up, always."

"She knew?"

Kim tilted her head to one side, "Which are you surprised about, that Randi knew about us, or your reaction to finding two of your students?"

"Both."

"And you're changing the subject. Please, just once Ker. She has absolutely no professional connection with County and she's a Psychologist who believes that drugs are the very last on a very long list of treatments." Kim fell silent and watched Kerry.

Kerry stared over Kim's shoulder out the window for nearly five minutes before she brought her focus back to Kim. "Why do you care Kim? We've been nothing but pain for each other, why do you still care?"

Kim blinked quickly, and her nose twitched, "'Cause I love you Kerry." She put a hand up before Kerry could respond, "I know, I know, I'm not saying anything that... I... when you loved me, everything was beautiful."

Kerry shook her head as she saw the barest of twinkles in Kim's eyes, "You're trying to get me to laugh, quoting Disney."

"Pixar, Sarah McLachlan. Hey, I have a niece and nephew as well as my little brother and sis. Did it work?"

Kerry sighed, "Are you going to make me puke again?"

"Oh..." Kerry reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a bottle of water. "Here."

"No connection to County. Now or in the future?"

Kim held up three fingers, "Girl scout promise."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "You were never a Girl Scout."

Kim shrugged, "Always wanted to be a Boy Scout."

Kerry looked up, surprised, "ME too..."

Kim and Kerry nodded in concert at Kim spoke, "Always did cooler things." Kim was silent for a second. "Are we okay, I mean... friends or frenemies, or, whatever we were?"

"You can be a bitch. I didn't know that about you."

Kim gave a half bow, "I am merely a jester in the Queen Bitch's court M'lady."

Kerry shook her head and took a swig of the water. "I need to go. Make sure there are still patients alive in my ER. I'll... I'll call her." Kerry narrowed her eyes, "But, if I do this, you're feeling pain too..."

"What?"

"You're babysitting my kids."

oOOOOo

"Oh."

Doris and Erica looked up and Abby had to cover her mouth. OF course, the two women thought it was because she was disgusted not that she was trying not to laugh, since it was so obvious that they had just jumped apart, both quite flushed and looking just the teeniest bit guilty. Doris spoke, "It's not what it looks like."

Abby cleared her throat, and somehow managed not to laugh, "I have no doubt that it was exactly what it looked like. Did you get all my paperwork?"

Doris cleared her throat, "Ah, yes, Randi brought it up. You're all set. I hope everything will be alright with your mother."

Erica couldn't help herself, "What's wrong?"

"Inoperable brain tumor."

"Hmmm... has she gotten a second opinion, on the inoperable part I mean?"

Doris frowned at Erica but Abby didn't seem to mind the question. "Yes, her Doctor's SOP. Why?"

"I know, used to know at least one damn good Neurosurgeon in Seattle. Want me to give you his info. Have your mother's doctor give him the files? I'll give him a call so it doesn't come out of the blue."

"Why?"

"Why would I do that? Well, I'm in a really honest to goodness good mood for the first time in what feels like decades. Best mood ever maybe, not to mention I'm very satisfi...."

"Erica..." Doris turned an interesting shade of crimson. "Doctor Lockhart if you don't say yes, I may be a pile of ash in a few moments."

Abby looked between the two women, "Okay. If you think he might have a different answer." Abby waited while Erica wrote down the info. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Erica waited until Abby was gone before approaching Doris. "Have to remember to close the inner door, huh..."

Doris' eyes rolled into her head as Erica hit a very sensitive spot, "Door, what?"

Erica smiled and resumed.


	6. Chapter 6

**~ About One Month Later**

"You know, you are a smelly little child Jules babe." 

"Mama."

"Oh, no, no, 'cause I'm sure that your Mama reads you Shakespeare or Plato or something while she changes you. Me, you just get snarky comments on the fact that, I'm pretty sure I've smelled less smelly cattle kiddo."

"You talkin' to yourself again sis?"

Kevin and Henry appeared in the doorway. Kim pulled up Juliana's pants. "Hey, hey now, give a girl her privacy."

Henry laughed and Kevin led him down the hall back into the living room. A moment later Kim and Juliana appeared. Juliana hurried to her brother and plopped down next to him. Kim shook her head as she sat down on the couch. Her brother on the easy chair near where the kids were playing. "Lincoln Logs. Do you ever stop being an architect?"

Kevin shrugged, "Sometimes I stop when I'm sleeping."

"Sometimes?"

Henry stood and stepped over his sister's very tilty tower. It swayed for a moment and Juliana's eyes got big before the tower settled. Kevin sat on the ground as Henry climbed onto the couch next to Kim. "Is Mama gonna be home soon?"

Kim nodded, "She will."

He bit the inside of his lip, "Is Mama okay?"

Kim smiled, "You are just one little ball of stress aren't ya bud?" Kim tickled at him and he giggled as he tried to wiggle out of the way. Kim swept him up in her arms and twirled him in a circle to his delighted squeals.

Soon Juliana was up, her hands raised. After a minute Kim grabbed Juliana around the waist and spun her at the same time, a bit slower. Causing a cacophony of sound to reverberate through the house. 

Kevin sat back with a grin on his face. He hadn't seen his sister quite so happy in years. He had the urge to tease her about it all, but decided that if he did, she'd get all self-conscious and stop, and that wouldn't do anyone any good.

Finally Kim got tired and Henry admitted he was dizzy, after trying to stand still and instead falling butt first to the floor. All three sank into the couch. Kim an arm around Henry as Juliana sprawled halfway across Kim's lap. "And your Mom's going to be fine bud."

Henry closed his eyes and yawned, "Good."

oOOOOo

"Everyone's running around like their butts are on fire. Oh, ha, ha, you spend every spare waking hour with someone under five and tell me if you say butt or ass smartass."

Abby listened to the other end of the phone as she watched the doctors, nurses and patients move around in a waiting area that wasn't hers. "Yeah, she's in and under. They said I could watch from the gallery, but... I've watched her try to kill herself too many times. If she actually dies..." A shuddering breath came from Abby. "I don't think I can watch that. No, I'm fine, you have shifts and I can do this. I have been doing this." Abby paused, "Thank you though." Abby chuckled, "Yeah, the thought that counts. Love you too."

Abby slowly snapped closed the phone and sank down into a chair. She looked up as a blond haired woman and black haired woman came into the waiting area laughing, and then chaos descended, yelling, screaming, chairs pushed over with gigantic bangs, running, and then. Two gun shots.

oOOOOo

Cassie sat in the Jane Doe's room and stared at her. A breath in and out, in and out. She sat back, her head banging into the wall, "Damnit. What am I supposed to do now." She stood and went to the bed. "You're in there, why won't you wake up. Please wake up, and tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do, who I'm supposed to trust, tell."

oOOOOo

Kim sank into the couch in Kerry's home with a groan. "What are you doin' Kev, really? You have two kids of your own. Don't they keep you busy enough?"

Kevin shrugged, "Someone else's are always more fun."

"That's just creepy little brother."

Kevin nodded, "Sure, when you take it the wrong way on purpose little sister. Look, you love her, and there's no way I'm letting her break your heart to pieces again."

Kim groaned again, "Kevin, I had to beg, wheedle and... trust me, maybe at one point she loved me, but now." She pinched the bridge of her nose and stared up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I'm not sure if she can stand to be in the same room as me." She chuckled and pointed, "Look at that."

Kevin squinted, "Fingerprints, so?"

"Henry's I'd bet, which means that he..."

Kevin got it, "Jumps on the couch to reach it. Ah, man, you remember the bed incident?"

Kim winced, "You mean you breaking my bed?"

"Hey, you were jumping too Kimmy."

"Yeah, but it was my bed." Kim shook her head, "You need to go Kevin. Please."

Kevin stood, "Okay, okay. And..." He looked up and found himself looking into Kerry's gaze. "...you didn't get me out fast enough."

Kim stood as well. "Kerry, this is my brother Kevin. Kev, Kerry Weaver."

Kerry held out a hand, "Nice to meet you." They shook and Kerry switched her focus to Kim, "Did they get to sleep alright?"

"Fine. Fine."

Kerry hung up her jacket and put down her things. "I know you don't like this much. Next time I'm sure Florina or Eduardo may be able to take Juliana and Henry."

Kim shrugged, "It wasn't too bad, their heads didn't spin or anything. Ah, and all the fluids that are supposed to stay inside did. It was... fun."

Kevin's eyes bounced between Kim and Kerry as he interrupted, "It was good to meet you Kerry, but I should get home."

Kerry nodded, "Thank you."

Kevin looked a bit confused over what he was being thanked for, but decided based on the tension in the room he wouldn't ask, would just leave. "See you Sunday Kimmy."

Kim pried her gaze from Kerry. "Sure, love you Kev."

"Ditto..." He closed Kerry's front door as softly as he could and shook his head. He opened his phone and dialed home. It was two rings before it was picked up, "Hey Molly, yep, I'm on my way. Yeah, she's still here, yep, she's back in the clutches of the heartbreaker, though she doesn't see it yet. Neither of them do. Hey, since when am I not careful. Yep, bye m'love."

oOOOOo

Kim had been watching her brother leave and nearly jumped when she felt Kerry's arms around her and the redhead's head on her chest. Then she realized Kerry was crying silent tears. Kim closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Kerry and they just stood like that.

oOOOOo

"Oh God, oh God, no."

Abby shook the stars out of her vision and looked for the source of the cries. She winced when she saw a young man who seemed to be dressed like some patient's family member laying on his back with a bullet hole in his forehead. But the wailing was coming from the blonde woman who had been with the black haired one.

She scrambled over on her hands and knees to the woman. She pushed the blonde aside, "Who are you? What are you doing? Oh God, I can't lose her after I found her. I can't..."

"Abby. I'm a doctor."

This seemed to pull the blonde a bit out of her stupor and her freaking out went down a level. "Me too... I..."

Abby glanced quickly over her shoulder at the Doc, "I'm an ER doctor, you're a pedes one? Hence the pins, Doctor..." She focused on the name on the woman's lab coat. "Robbins. She needs a chest tube."

The gurney appeared and Abby flipped so that she was above the unconscious woman's head, holding her neck steady as they lifted the woman to the gurney. Abby glared at the very young doctors. "Where's the neck brace and where's your ER?"

"Uh..."

"They're interns."

"Where's your resident, attending, anyone else?"

One of the interns swallowed nervously, "She is..."

"Unless you want her to die we have to get her a chest tube now." No one moved. "NOW."

They all moved, and they ended up in what to Abby looked much like a Trauma room. The interns and a nurse connected all the equipment to the woman while Abby, Arizona Robbins next to her both stood by the wall.

Abby turned, "You have two, no, three choices. Wait, let me do it, or you do it yourself."

Arizona opened and closed her mouth and looked down at her hands. They were shaking like leaves in a hurricane. "You. You've done one?"

Abby nodded, "Many. We'll save.." Abby realized she didn't know the woman's name.

Arizona provided it, "Callie Torres."

oOOOOo

Kim and Kerry had moved to the couch. Though a more apt description would have been that Kim had guided Kerry to the couch. Kerry had calmed down and released her death grip on Kim and took deep breaths.

Finally the redheaded Chief of the ER spoke, "Kim, I should expl..."

Kim cut Kerry off with two fingers over her lips. "Don't."

Kerry frowned, "Oh?"

Kim sighed, "That's not. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. You don't have to explain anything. I'm not your therapist, and don't want to be."

Kerry looked away, "I'm not being fair to you."

"Hey. I'm a big girl Ker."

Kerry was silent for a moment, "I do still love you Kim."

Kim stared at Kerry's back and blinked for a second. Not sure how to respond. "See, it'll never work, the crutch, I just loved that shiny thing, and now, two legs, not a gimp anymore..."

Kerry turned and the response she had ready died on her lips. Kim was grinning mischievously as only she could. Kerry sighed and put a hand on Kim's cheek. "Kim."

Kim put her hand on Kerry's and took the hand off her cheek, though she didn't let go. "Uh uh, no kissing, not tonight."

Kerry pulled her hand back. "What if I can't do this, Courtney was raped, and died and yet I'm the one with all this..."

Kim put an arm around Kerry who laid her head down on Kim's shoulder. "I've never been through it as Courtney did or as you are, but I'm here. And you'd better not make the two munchkins go over to Nanna's, I need Henry to do my homework and I think Jules is right on the brink of solving world hunger."

Kerry yawned, "Ah, sorry, long day. And the world produces enough food, just doesn't get everywhere where it'd help."

Kim rolled her eyes, "Gah, what a buncha nerds you three are."

oOOOOo

Abby stared down at her hands. She'd washed them after working on Callie. She knew there wasn't an iota of blood on them, and yet.

"Stand UP."

Abby nearly did, instead simply looking up at a pint sized young woman with the name Bailey on her coat. "I said st..."

"I heard what you said Doctor Bailey, I'm not in the mood."

"Mood, mood? You come into my hospital and put a chest tube in one of my friends. On only your own word that you're even a doctor, and you're not in the mood to talk to me?"

Abby looked up again. "Exactly. Is she dead? Or are you worried, so you're taking it out on me, well... sorry Bailey, but you don't scare me. My boss could eat you for breakfast and have room left over for a couple dozen interns. Who, by the way, were the only ones around. Would you rather have had them digging around in Callie's chest?"

Bailey was silent.

"Please. My mother is upstairs getting her brain ripped to shreds and my, and I'm here alone with her. I helped your friend because I do it like I do breathing, but I'm tired and please, just go the fuck away."

Bailey, surprisingly to every intern within hearing distance, did. It could have been a half a day when a throat cleared. Doctor Shepard and a mousey blonde haired woman sat down across from Abby.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a knock on Kim's office door, which was almost never closed. "Come in."

Cassie did and did a double take. Kim didn't look at all like her normal self, and she was one of the few in the hospital who always managed to look awake, perky, and refreshed. "Long night last night? You look like crap."

Kim sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was back to bouncy and curly. "Was there something you wanted Cassie?"

"Yes. You know about the Jane Doe you came in with?"

"I didn't actually."

"What?"

Kim put down her pen and shook her head, "I got the call, got down to street level and they were rolling in with her already."

"Would... would you come take a look at her? Please?"

Kim frowned at the second year resident. "What's her name Cassie?"

"I'll explain everything, well, most things. Please."

Kim stood. "Lead the way."

oOOOOo

Doris knocked on the Chief of Surgery's office door and got a come in. Erica looked up with a smile, which morphed into confusion as two other women entered, one very pregnant. "Hello."

"These are my... friends?" The pregnant one smiled and the other woman gave a short laugh, "From Springfield. Natalia and Olivia, this is Doctor Erica Hahn. We're..."

Erica shook Natalia's hand, then Olivia's. "Totally indefinable. How far along are you?"

"Too far along. We didn't believe Doris when she said she was moving from Springfield. She gave up her Mayoral post and everything."

Doris spoke up, "Chose not to seek re-election and to work on projects that mean something to me."

Olivia chuckled, "Still Doris though. What happened to Jamanda?"

Erica mouthed 'Jamanda' and shook her head, "Did she get escorted to the loony bin for not changing her name when she hit eighteen?"

Doris wasn't finding any of the conversation funny, "Jamanda stayed in Springfield. How's Rafe?"

"Still alive."

Erica stood, "So, since I don't want to do paperwork or deal with Residents or Interns today. How about a tour from a couple of people who barely know the place."

oOOOOo

Cassie entered the room first, followed closely by Kim. Cassie started to speak but didn't even get in a word as Kim exclaimed, "Holy shit. Janet."

Cassie's jaw dropped to the floor as she quickly shut the door. "How do you know her name?"

Kim took her hand, "She's my aunt, i was born when she was only four. We.. both our middle names are Nicole after our grandma Fr... Wait." Kim let go and turned, "Fraiser." Kim stared at Cassie, "You'r her daughter. God, she never told me she had a daughter, after all the crap with that jerk off Abe Simm, is... oh..."

Cassie shook her head and went to the other side of Janet Frasier's bed. "I'm adopted. I don't know my father... and you, she never talked about her family. Just that she had a sister and two brothers."

Kim squeezed Janet's unresponsive hand, "Nancy, her sister, is my mother, and she... my grandma and grandpa didn't' want her to join the Air Force, Grandpa died soon after she did join. They... all of my family were free spirit types, even after the sixties and seventies ended. Janet wasn't."

A gurgle of laughter escaped from Cassie, who shook her head, "Sorry."

"What is it?" 

"She's gay Doctor Legaspi."

Kim looked back down at the Aunt that was only four years her senior, "Two different things, haven' you met Kerry. Would you call her a free spirit?"

"Oh, right, I guess you have a point." She sighed, "What... what am I supposed to do now?"

Kim let go of Janet's hand, "The Air Force said she was KIA."

Cassie nodded, "They... but they never recovered her body."

Kim shook her head, "But the Air Force doesn't usually say KIA unless they're sure, right?"

Cassie pushed a lock of hair from Janet's forehead, "That's my problem."

Kim thought for a moment, "Ask Kerry."

Cassie frowned, "Doctor Weaver?"

"We need the name of a DNA lab or someone she knows at one. I'll get my grandmother's DNA. Janet's mother's. We'll send it in, get an answer." Kim looked back down at Janet. "When we were growing up she was like the sister I wouldn't have for years." Kim shook her head, "Then she moved to Colorado Springs and it was as if she'd fallen off the end of the Earth. I trust Kerry."

Cassie quietly thought for a moment, "Okay. I'll talk to her."

Kim came around and put a hand on Cassie's shoulder, "I know she's Janet Fraiser. The one I grew up with... at least in body. But..."

Cassie finished Kim's sentence, "...it's better to have facts to go in with than to come out empty handed. Mom said that."

"So does her mother, my grandma Nicole Fraiser. We'll figure this out together Cassie. Okay?"

"Right."

oOOOOo

"And this is the ER. We're not gonna go any farther than this, the admit desk, because Doctor Weaver would be less than happy."

Kerry looked up, "Hello." She didn't anything else as her phone rang. "Weaver." She was silent for a long time before some of the tension on her face left it. "I will tell everyone the good news Abby. Take your time and don't slip in any puddles."

Erica groaned as Kerry hung up. "Are you going to stop with the bad Seattle jokes? It's an amazing city. It's not just coffee and rain."

"Of course, but it's fun to be able to actually pull someone else's chain in this hospital instead of always being the butt of the jokes. So get used to it Doctor Hahn. That was Abby by the way, Maggie's through the surgery and Doctor Shepard thinks he got it all."

Erica let out a slow breath, "That's good. So..." Erica looked down at her shoes and back up at Natalia, "I do believe your water just broke Natalia."

Kerry glanced around, "Tony. You're up and page..."

"OB. Got it Chief."

Tony let Natalia and Olivia away. Doris watched the go and Kerry spoke, "If you're their friend, you're also the Chief of Staff. The last two Chiefs of Staff, excluding Anspaugh, well, they just did what they wanted when it came to rules here and there. Such as the family only one. If you want to go with them, just go with them."

Doris squeezed Erica's hand and followed after them.

Erica gave Kerry a curious look, "Weren't you one of the previous Chief's of Staff?"

Kerry just smiled.

oOOOOo

Abby dialed another number and waited. Finally there was a voice on the other end. "I'm flying out there."

"No, we're coming back soon enough. Stay in Chicago."

There was silence, "Is that a stay, stay in Chicago, or a, come even though I say not to, sort of stay?"

Abby stared down at her mother, "I saved a life today, uh... I guess it was yesterday. One of the doctors here got shot. It... it's a come even though you shouldn't sort of stay."

"You sure?"

Abby took her mother's hand in her own, "I'm pretty sure of nothing right now."

"I'm already on my way."

Abby closed her phone and swallowed back her tears. She felt her hand squeezed and looked at Maggie. "You're awake."

"Who?"

Abby shook her head, "Just calling Chicago Maggie."

Maggie narrowed her eyes, but didn't have the strength to argue and closed her eyes once again, letting unconsciousness take her.

oOOOOo

"Sam." Cassie didn't know what to say and trailed off.

But Sam knew Cassie. "What's wrong, what happened, Cass?"

Cassie swallowed and closed her eyes. "Look, it's all too... Here. You need to get here, Chicago, now, okay."

"Cassie, you're scaring me, are you..."

"I'm fine, but I need you. I know that you have but...."

Sam cut Cassie off. "I'm on my way, give me a day, okay? Is..." Cassie could practically hear Sam swallowing back the fear. She felt guilty for causing the fear, but she had to Samantha Carter to Chicago without the Air Force or IOA, or anyone realizing why. "Is that soon enough?"

Cassie looked up as Kerry entered the doctor's lounge. "That's fine Sam. Thank you."

"Take care Cassandra. I love you."

"I love you too Sam. Bye."

Kerry sat. "You wanted to talk to me. That you need something?"

"A DNA test."

Kerry sat there for a moment with a frown on her face, "I'm going to assume that this involves our Jane Doe?"

"Jane.... yes, she's, she's..." Cassie leaned her arms against the table and put her head in them. "I don't know what to do."

"That's because you're a resident Doctor Fraiser, just start from the beginning and we'll see what we can do together."

Cassie looked up, "Kim trusts you." Kerry didn't move. "Okay, look, I can't tell you why, or, or... anything. I know her, she's, she's..." Cassie looked around a nd whispered, "She's my mother."

Kerry's face went white, but she didn't speak, just listened and Cassie rambled a bit more. "I don't really know what it is with you and Kim, I don't care, I just need this. Please Doctor Weaver. I promise, it's nothing illegal. Really. I just need proof."

Kerry stared at Cassie for a long two minutes before she finally shook her head, "Fine, fine. Have both for me by later tonight."

Cassie nodded quickly, "Thank you, thank you. She..."

Kerry held a hand up, "You're right. I don't need to know, I don't want to know." 

Cassie left Kerry alone.

oOOOOo

Doris stood in the corner of the birthing room. She hadn't spoken since she appeared and she was pretty sure no one even knew that she was there. It had been one of her special abilities as a kid. Of course, when she'd hit puberty the ability hadn't been a boon anymore and she hadn't shut up since.

It had been an easy birth, Doris smiled to herself, unlike her own daughter's. Of course, they were gonna saddle a perfectly cute and beautiful little girl with the name Francesca after Frank Cooper. Doris shuddered. She left the two new parents alone with t heir little girl and called her own little girl. "Ash, it's your Mom... Healthy, Happy six pounds seven ounces." Doris smiled, "Yep, they went through with it, Francesca Emily. So, did I beat the Cooper news service?" Doris paused as Ashlee answered on the other end, "Good. I love you."

As she hung up she glanced through the exam room door's window, "Family."

oOOOOo

"Kim, what are you doing here?"

Kim looked up, "I could ask the same of you."

Kerry didn't move etowards the bed, just stayed by the door. "Cassie asked me her favor. Janet Fraiser. We went to school together."

"Oh..." Kerry waited in silence for Kim to continue, and the blonde did, "She's my aunt technically, sister in my heart." Kim smiled to herself, "Tried like hell for the entirety of our teen years to get me to kiss a boy. Even tryin' to trick me into it." 

"She didn't approve?"

"What?" Kim shook her head, "No, no, it was a joke between us. I was always trying to trick her into kissing a girl. Neither of us succeeded... well..." A sad smile came to Kim's face, "Apparently I did succeed, she just never told me about it. I guess she's, she was in a relationship with a woman before she... I guess before she was MIA. But before today, I hadn't seen her or talked to her in thirteen years."

"I'm so sorry Kim."

Kim shrugged, "Not your fault Kim."

Kerry opened and closed her mouth, once, then again. "I, uh, I saw her about six years ago at a conference. She looked happy. I know that doesn't help any."

"Thank you."

"Kim..."

Kim nodded, "I know she's supposed to be dead, but, but..., they never had a body. Maybe, maybe this is the universe's way of making amends for Trip?"

"The cousin you told me about our during our first Thanksgiving, our second date? The cousin you watched die?" Kim nodded, "Maybe the universe is good like that. I don't know. Has she woken up?" Kim shook her head negatively, "Uh, and in semi-related news. Maggie's surgery went well and Randi's on her way to Seattle right now."

Kim couldn't help herself. Kerry frowned, "What?"

"You know, you're just such a spoil sport, did your parents ever give you a successful surprise birthday party?"

Kerry turned a bit pink, "Well.. no... what does that have to do with Abby and Randi. They're good for each other, though it's a little unexpected. Abby needs someone who isn't her, in male or female form, a doctor, nurse, whatever, and Randi needs someone who is a stable influence. What?"

"They thought they would surprise you, maybe throw in a Malucci red herring for you."

"So, I should act surprised when they do their big reveal?"

Kim shrugged, "That all depends on how Maggie takes it when Randi gets there."

"Ah. Right. I guess I never had to do the parent thing, not really."

"Hey, Kerry, your mother counts. You have your very own 'my parent shunned me when I came out' story."

Kerry shook her head, "I always wonder, what my father especially would have said if they'd have known. Maybe they did know. They never seemed surprised by me." Kerry paused, "Look, on..."

"...last night."

Kerry nodded, "I'm sorry, I know that we..."

Kim joined Kerry at the door, "You know that I'll give you time. I meant no kissing last night, when you were wound tighter than a Rolex. Not forever and ever and ever."

"But we didn't work Kim, and now it's bad enough I put Henry through losing Courtney. When a relationship goes south, it's not just me who gets hurt anymore."

Kim was silent for a moment, "Who are you Kerry Weaver?"

"What?"

"You were a workaholic alpha bitch who had only dated men and maybe really loved one of them. The only time you seemed human was with your patients, and you shared absolutely nothing of yourself with your staff. At work you were an automaton. Your biggest goal seemed to be advancement. People didn't want to be your friend, very few ever tried to get to know you and so, you took out the hard part and rejected them before they could reject you."

Kerry stood there, stunned, "A-and, now?"

Kim cupped Kerry's cheek in her hand, "Well, you're not a gimp anymore."

"Kimberly..."

Kim smiled, "You're still a borderline workaholic, you've truly loved, Courtney and Sandy and maybe others that Abby didn't pass along the names of. You let your staff and co-workers know a little bit of you. You've become human to them. Not to mention, you hired back Malucci."

Kerry frowned, "What does Dave have to do with this?"

"Ask yourself. Would 2001 Kerry have hired him back? Ever? There's the chance that he could do it all again. Nazi Dyke nickname and all. That was getting rejected by the way, as a boos, but still."

Kerry put a hand on Kim's chest, right above her breasts, and Kim swallowed. "And you. Have you changed Kim?"

Kim put her own hand over Kerry's. "It wasn't my fault. It was never my fault yo know. You weren't the first, and you weren't the last. If I kept dating women who were experimenting, who were straight, then it wasn't my fault. They'd break up with me because they couldn't come out, and I couldn't be in, or because they weren't gay, or whatever, and it was never my fault. Then there was you... and you did the same thing, or that's what I told myself. But that letter, that damn letter." 

Kim shook her head and stepped back, breaking contact with Kerry. "'Dear Kim, I'll get it out of the way first. I'm sorry. Those two words aren't enough to convey my feelings, but they're all the English Language has, so they'll have to do. I've been handicapped all my life. Not because I use a crutch, but because I never felt as though I could tell if someone liked me for me or because they pitied me and my crutch. That's not an excuse, just a fact. Did you know that you were one of four people who didn't blink when they first saw the crutch? My mother, father, Mlungisi and you. When I was in that room with you Robert and Donald, it all came flooding back. The doubts from the playground, from the school halls, even from the hospital halls. Perhaps you were just using me, that somehow you would pin it all on me like the kids used to, because they knew the cripple wouldn't get punished as badly. I had worked so hard to get that far, and all I could see was it being flushed down a toilet."

Kim paused, cleared her throat, "And then... and then you..." She close her eyes and opened them a second later. She continued reciting the letter from memory, "'It was never about being a lesbian Kim, or about my love for you. And I love you more than I ever imagined I could love anyone. Even now, after we've broken up, whenever we're in the same room all I can think about is..."

Kerry cleared her throat and blushed a bit, she knew what came after that in the letter since she'd written it, "Uh... she's not dead Kim, just in a coma, and we don't know how deep a coma."

Kim smiled and relaxed a bit, "Okay. Just the last line then. 'All I need is a little time. Please trust me Kim, I will come out, not for you, but for me, because you make me want to be more than I am. Love, Kerry Weaver."

Kerry shook her head, "I think I plagiarized the last part from somewhere or something, but I can't recall what. But, you remember it, word for word?"

Kim nodded, "When I read it the first time it just sounded like excuses. If I'd take you back then, I would have had to take some responsibility in the relationship. It would suddenly be a two way street. But over the years... I can't go back and go through what you've been through, but I've learned that I don't need to. Ironic huh, the Psychiatrist who has to learn how to simply say 'I understand'." Kim sighed, "Instead of 'I appreciate the sentiment'."

Kerry made a face and Kim winced, "I know, I know, I should have said. 'Let's talk', or 'When do you think you'll be ready', or 'Let's take this in steps. Family... Friends...'"

Kerry raised an eyebrow and Kim revived her words, "Friends who aren't named Christy. Uh..." A slight smile came to Kim's lips, "You know, you could call my most recent Ex."

The other eyebrow joined the first, "For what, a reference?" Kerry shook her head as her phone went off. She looked at the message, "It's the ER. Way too many car MVA. Kim..."

Kim shook her head, "Go... go, just. Think about everything. I wouldn't be saying any of this unless I wanted something real and..." Kerry glanced to the door, "Go, before Chaz and the rest of the bunch kill someone."


	8. Chapter 8

A tall, striking, and slightly frowning blonde woman, her hair back in a pony tail came up to the admit desk. "I need to see Cassie Fraiser."

The desk clerk, who wasn't Randi, stared back blankly at the woman, "Are you a patient?"

"No."

The desk clerk looked perturbed, "How'd you get back here?"

"Do you know where she is or not?"

"Uh..."

A slightly tired looking Kerry spoke up. Abby's absence was wearing on all the Doctors in the ER since they had to pick up the slack. "She's upstairs with a patient and the patient's family." Kerry paused, "Would you deliver something up there for me?"

Kerry scribbled a room number on the envelope she had in her pocket and handed it to the woman. "You know, she told me about you six years ago." Kerry shook her head, "Even with everything I had gone through I never thought that her Sam could have been a woman. Good luck."

Chaz approached Kerry. "Do you have anything for me Doctor Weaver?"

Kerry ran her hand over the charts, "Dog bite in four. Come get me when you're done."

Chaz swallowed down his nervousness, "You Doctor Weaver?"

Kerry kept a straight face, "I believe that I've been a doctor for a few years."

"Ah, yes, yes, of course. I'll find you."

Kerry smiled at his back as Haleh shook her head, "You have too much fun doing that Doctor Weaver."

Kerry turned to face Haleh, "Want to know a secret? I always have had fun doing that."

oOOOOo

"Who is he?"

Abby's head shot up, her hair sticking to her face every which way. "Wha? Who?"

"Your mystery man. I've been trying to puzzle it out, but I haven't been able to yet."

Abby tried to tame her hair into some semblance of order, but it was a losing battle and she settled for a pony tail to at least get it out of the way. "There is no mystery man Maggie."

Maggie sat up against the raised bed, "I nearly died, still may die. You have to tell me Abigail."

Abby stood and stretched to one side, then the other. Hospital chairs were not the most comfortable beds. "Not the way my luck is holding." Maggie opened her mouth to speak again, but Abby beat her to it. "Mom, there is no mystery man."

A voice came from the doorway, "There is me though."

Maggie stared at Randi, then whacked her daughter on the arm, "What are you thinking?"

Abby sighed and sat down, out of her mother's swing radius, "Truthfully I'm trying not to Maggie."

Maggie looked to Randi, "No offense honey, but, but... you're just so young, Randi is it?"

Randi chuckled and Abby shot her a look of death, "I don't see anything funny about any of this Miranda."

Randi mostly ignored her girlfriend and addressed Maggie, "Mrs. Wyczenski, I am 39. If you'd like I have my license with me."

"You pronounced the last name correctly. 39? What do you use for moisturizer? Don't tell me that it's natural, because lately nature seems to be catching up with me, no matter what I use it's like someone's painting on the wrinkles at night."

"Gah."

Both women looked over as Abby stood, "I just... I have to call Joe before..." She looked between the two of them, shook her head, and was out the door before either one could speak.

"Isn't us getting along a good thing?"

Randi watched Abby walk down the hall, "I, I don't think that's it."

"Well... I'm not going anywhere, go after her. I'll grill you about how you look so young and what your intentions are for my daughter later." Randi followed the trail Abby had taken, leaving Maggie to shake her head in disbelief and spoke to the nurse that entered the room. "My daughter thinks I'm a prude, so soon she forgets some of the things I've done while I was manic."

oOOOOo

"Hey, hey, are you okay Abs?"

Abby practically fell into Randi's arms, "I don't know if I can do this."

"Have her alive? Or have her dead?"

Abby closed her eyes, "Thank you for being so stubborn. I, she was in there for what seemed like too long and there was being shot at, and then I got yelled at by a mini Weaver and I realized belatedly that me telling her would mean that Maggie would meet you. And there's two people I've dated that she's liked and I barely talk to either of them."

"Your Ex and Luka. Hey, if you want me to, I'm pretty damn good at making parents dislike me. Practically got a degree in it."

Abby sighed and let go, "No. It's not like you're my first, woman I mean... it's just she's never known about the others. High School, Undergrad... by Med School I was pissed at both sexes."

Randi leaned against the hallway, "Stay or go."

Abby pulled Randi to her and their lips met.

They pulled apart as a throat cleared. Abby turned, but kept her hand around Randi's waist, "It's... Arizona, right. I saved her..."

"Girlfriend."

"Oh." A short chuckle escaped Abby, "So, she's still okay?"

Arizona nodded, "I wanted to thank you."

"We'll call it even. Your Doctor Shepard saved my mother Maggie, or at least gave her a better chance. I'm glad Callie's okay though."

Arizona took her leave and Randi and Abby went back towards Maggie's room, "You know that, well, if it's the same Callie, she's the new Chief of Surgery's former girlfriend."

"Small world." Abby paused outside Maggie's room, "You, ah, you know it's going to get smaller."

"Maggie's moving in."

"Maggie's moving in. Are you okay with that?"

"Do you want me to move out?" Abby shook her head negatively, "Then, are you okay with your mother moving in?"

Abby leaned over and gave Randi a kiss, "It's gonna be hell, but, she'll get to know you and Joe... and, she's alive, that's what matters I think. Here we go."

oOOOOo

"Cassie a wo..." The tall fit woman trailed off, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"When she wakes up I'm gonna have a little talk with the short one here about telling people about her family." Kim raised her hands in self defense, "I'm here because she's my aunt. Are those the DNA results?"

The woman looked down as if the envelope was going to explode. She handed it to Kim as Cassie approached her and engulfed her in a hug, "Sam. I... I don't know what to do. What if, what if they find out, or... or..."

Sam rubbed Cassie's back. "We'll figure it out. So, is she related to you." Sam looked at Kim, "Is she Janet Fraiser?"

Kim nodded and brushed a lock of hair from Janet's forehead. "Yes. Who are you?"

"Sam, Sam Carter, her... her..." Sam trailed off.

"I understand."

Sam pinned Kim with a look that she usually used on misbehaving Airmen on the Hammond, "Excuse me?"

Kim moved on, "So, what do you think we should do next?"

Sam slowly moved until she was next to Janet, though she didn't touch the comatose woman. "If she hasn't woken up I'm not sure. Getting her to Colorado Springs would probably be best."

Kim tilted her head to one side, "You could always try a Prince Charming."

Sam stared at Kim, "A what?"

Cassie shook her head, "That doesn't work in real life Kim. I'm pretty sure that no one would be in a coma for long if it did."

Kim sighed, "Okay. You want the boring, Kerry Weaver, non-fun, 'that sunset is dust' explanation. The docs that there is no apparent reason why she's still in a coma, maybe she need something familiar, a kiss between two people who lo... who deeply care for each other, wouldn't you say that's pretty familiar." Kim fell silent.

Sam first touched Janet's hand, then a lock of her hair. Finally she leaned down and placed the barest of kisses on Janet's lips.

Kim was the one who saw it first, one of Janet's hands moved. Then the other. Finally her eyes blinked open. They seemed to focus on nothing, then she blinked and focused on Kim. "Kimmy?" It came out barely as a croak and was followed by a cough.

Kim took Janet's hand, "Yeah. You're in Chicago. You're home." Kim swallowed, "We all thought..." She shook her head as she took a breath, "There's something I have to do. I'll be back."

All three women watched Kim leave. Cassie took the Psychiatrist's place by the bed and Janet looked between them.

"Wha? What happened? The last, the last thing I remember is..." She put a hand to her side, "I was shot... what... how..."

"It's 2009."

Janet groaned, "Five years?" She stared to try to sit up, but Sam put a hand on her shoulder. "I need to..."

"First, we'll get you out of here, then, we'll worry about the how, why, where and wen about you and you being here, alive."

"Yes ma'am, Major."

Sam smiled gently, "Actually, it's Colonel now." Sam glanced over at Cassie who had barely moved, "Cassie, you okay?"

Cassie swiped at her eyes, "I'm... I'm late... for a shift."

Janet managed to catch Cassie's arm before her daughter left, "A shift?" Janet cleared her throat when the question came out as half garbled again. "Where? As what?"

Cassie looked down at her mother's hand. A tear slipped down her cheek, "Here... Mom, I..."

Janet shushed her daughter and pulled her down into a hug. "I don't know why or how, but I'm back and if I have to wrap myself in bubble wrap..." She squeezed Cassie even harder, "I'm not dying anytime soon."

oOOOOo

"We were just having an adventure. We're from Oregon and..."

Kerry spoke above the long haired, long limbed woman, "It's Jenny? I need you to be quiet so that I can tell whether your breathing and heart are okay. Alright?"

Jenny nodded and turned her head to look through the door into the next room where her bloody friend lay on a gurney also being worked on. "Is Kathryn gonna be okay?"

Kerry glanced over, "It looks like she's stable."

Jenny stared up at the ceiling, "It's my fault. I took her away from everything she knew and... and, why, why do I have to have that damn jeep. But it was so red, and no doors, it..."

"Jenny..."

Jenny trailed off and looked at Kerry, "Huh?"

"I'm going to have you get a CT, Malik and Chaz will take you."

Chaz nodded as Jenny turned her rambling towards the two men, "Do you guys have a softball team. Company softball's always fun. It's where I met Kathryn. Slapped her on the butt. Told her not to take third, but she didn't listen. Shoulda listened."

Kerry stripped off her gloves, pushed through the door and ran smack into Kim Legaspi. "Ki..." She didn't get to finish the blonde's name as Kim kissed Kerry hard and long, trying to meld their bodies into one.

Kerry finally had to push Kim back and sucked in a breath, "Kim, what the hell?"

Kim opened her mouth, but didn't get to speak as she was yanked into the Doctor's lounge. "Stay there."

Kerry poked her head back out the door and raked the ER personnel with a look. "If anyone was standing around talking about anything other than a patient, you will be fired."

She let the door swing closed and stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with something. Even Kim wasn't sure if it was anger, passion, or some mix of the two.

Kim tried to diffuse the situation, "I'm sorry, for kissing you... out there, now..."

Kerry didn't changer her position as she spoke, "Do you really think this is about where you kiss me Kim?"

"Uh, I'm going to go with no."

The redhead's hands went from her hips to do a pretty good impression of Kim as she crossed them over her chest. "You said think about everything. That's what You said Kim. It's been hours. That's not time to think. This isn't just about me anymore, and even if it were, I don't know if I can do it again."

Kim held her hands up, "I know, I know, I know. But I'm right." One of Kerry's eyebrows rose as Kim plowed on, "I promise that's the last time I'll be right, but I am. I can feel it. I don't get you, and I get everyone. Not just because of my job, but since I was a girl, I just know who people are, what they'll do in all different situations, usually after I spend a little time with them. But you..." Kim shook her head, "You zig when you're supposed to zag, help someone I thought you wouldn't help, and not help when I thought you would."

Kerry bristled at what Kim said, "You like me because I'm a... a puzzle?"

Kim put her fingers over Kerry's lips to forestall the rest of her thought, "No, I love you because... I'm not the word smith, you are, it's hard to..."

Kerry reached up and brought Kim's head and lips down and met them in a kiss. It started as a gentle spring breeze and quickly became a summer hurricane, taking both their breaths away. But this time, when they separated, they barely moved apart. "You can't move in, not yet, and you still have to convince my kids to like you like you, not politely like you, but really like you." Kim opened her mouth, but Kerry continued, "Without sweets and bribes, only yourself."

Kim wrapped her arms around Kerry's waist and pulled them closer together, "And you get to meet my family."

Kerry groaned, "And you'll have to meet Florina, Guillermo and everyone. That'll be fun."

"We could make 'em meet each other first." Kim paused for a half a second, "Are you going to tell your birth mom?"

"She didn't know about Courtney, doesn't know about Jules. No."

Kerry's eyes held a challenge that Kim didn't take. "Works for me. You know, you've got quite the family anyway."

"I have Henry and Juliana."

Kim titled her head, "And Florina and her brood. Best friend Abby and hey, you even have a mother-in-law from hell that you didn't ask for 'cause you aren't dating her daughter you're just friends."

"Maggie."

Kim laughed, "Yep. And Randi, and Dave. I think he has a crush on you Ker."

Kerry practically growled out her response, "Don't go there Kim."

"What, hey, he has mother issues. Mother issues are what keep me in clothes and being able to buy food. You may have started in this world with only Catherine and Henry as parents, but that's not how you'll leave it. Not to mention, when you realize that we're forever, I have the family that ate Cleveland." Kerry gave Kim a blank look, "You know... it's big. Not that literally we've eaten Cleveland."

Kerry lay her head against Kim's chest for a moment before she took a step back, "We both need to get back to work." Kim nodded, "I have a woman in Trauma two, something's wrong, but I don't think that the CT will show anything. Before you came bombing into my ER I was going to get her a Psych consult as well as the other tests."

Kim nodded, "Let me just run back up stairs for my things." She turned to leave, but found her arm caught.

"Chinese. George's is fine. The same for you and me, and Henry likes everything, so surprise him."

"And Jules?"

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "She's still days away from one Kim. She doesn't eat Chinese food quite yet."

"You know, one of these days you're gonna have to tell me her birth date."

Kerry's eyes narrowed at the taller blonde, "No bribing with toys either Kimberly Legaspi."

Kim's eyes twinkled, "Love you Ker."

Kerry paused for the briefest of seconds before she shook her head and gave Kim a gentle push towards the door, "I love you too Kim."


End file.
